Tobacco Export Earnings Plunge Despite Bigger Harvest

Zimbabwe’s tobacco export earnings fell sharply in the 2026 marketing season, as weaker international prices wiped out gains from a bigger harvest.

Latest Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) figures show earnings dropped 20% to US$859.6 million, down from US$1.07 billion in 2025.

The decline came despite higher volumes. The country sold 344.2 million kilograms of tobacco this year, up 7% from 321.4 million kilograms in 2025.

But the increase in output failed to lift revenues. Average prices slumped 26% to US$2.50 per kilogramme, from US$3.35 per kilogramme last year.

The price fall erased the benefits of the larger crop, leaving growers and the country with significantly lower export receipts.

Quality also deteriorated. Rejected bales rose 54% to 185,799, up from 120,381 in the previous season. The rejection rate climbed from 2.95% to 4.31%, raising concerns over leaf quality standards.

Industry analysts said the rise in production points to continued expansion in tobacco farming. But the lower prices and higher rejections highlight an urgent need to improve leaf quality and accelerate value addition to boost export earnings.

Subdued global tobacco prices have weighed heavily on Zimbabwe’s top agricultural export, with this season’s results showing that volume growth alone is not enough to secure higher revenues.

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