So far, over 121,000 tobacco growers, most of them communal farmers, have registered for the 2021/22 season, reports The Herald.

The number of registered farmers has declined by 19 per cent compared to the previous season where 144,529 growers had registered. This season, of the more than 121,000 farmers registered 66,868 are communal farmers. 41,487 are A1 farmers, 6,911 are A2 farmers and 6,544 are farmers from the small-scale sector, according to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).
The number of first time farmers has declined by 196 per cent from 1,716 last year to 580 for the current season, reports The Herald.
The reason for the decline is thought to be down to the TIMB’s tightened grower vetting process as well as industry challenges which are discouraging farmers from continuing to grow the crop.
“Too many cartels on one cake in the industry. Surrogate contractors short-changed farmers last season. We cannot have tobacco farmers not paid from last season up to now,” Tobacco Association Zimbabwe president, Mr George Seremwe said of the matter.