The Zimbabwe Progressive Tobacco Farmers Union (ZPTFU) and Turkish tobacco company Star Tobacco International have entered into a long-term strategic alliance under which Star will become ZPTFU's exclusive partner.

Under the terms of the agreement, Star Tobacco will assist ZPTFU in obtaining funding for farmer inputs from international financiers, and will be ZPTFU’s exclusive international sales and marketing arm for all tobaccos produced.
Star will also assist in the provision of curing barns that use alternative energy in conjunction with ZPTFU’s engineering partner Robinson Engineering Zimbabwe, as well as in the funding of courses with ZPTFU’s educational partner Zimbabwe Open University that educate tobacco farmers in quality and yield performance.
ZPTFU and Star Tobacco say they share a common vision that the interests of small-scale farmers are at the center of the tobacco industry and consider their agreement to "pave the way towards agricultural and economic development in Zimbabwe".
ZPTFU, established in 2010, has 21,000 small-scale farmer members who account for 40,000 hectares of farmland and forecast a production of 80 million kg for the 2011/2012 season. 
Star Tobacco International, headquartered in Istanbul Turkey, has operations in Africa, Europe, India, Asia and the USA, and advocates “sustainable farming". (ci)