The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has announced updated deadlines for renewing or applying for tobacco buying licenses in Zimbabwe. This change affects contractors who buy unprocessed tobacco directly from growers and those who purchase self-financed tobacco at auction floors.
In a recent statement, TIMB explained that this revision is intended to align with the Contractors Compliance Administration Framework, a set of rules that ensures tobacco contracting is fair, transparent, and sustainable.
Under the new timeline, contractors must sign the compliance framework before acquiring their licensing. The deadline for renewing or applying for a contractor’s buying license has been extended from December 31 to March 31 each year. The deadline for renewing or applying for an “A” class buying license has been set to October 31 annually.
The contractor’s buying license allows merchants to buy unprocessed tobacco directly from growers they support with resources, at a licensed contract floor. On the other hand, an “A” class buying license permits individuals or entities to purchase self-financed tobacco at auction floors, without prior contracts with the growers.
TIMB clarified that these changes aim to improve the timeliness of input distribution and prevent growers from being exploited by subpar or overpriced inputs. The revised deadlines are expected to address long-standing issues such as delays in input delivery and non-compliance with the minimum input package requirements.
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By October 31, those applying for the “A” class buying license will have ample time to secure funding to purchase tobacco in the upcoming marketing season. The new deadlines are part of TIMB’s broader effort to make the tobacco industry more efficient and orderly.
TIMB is calling on all stakeholders to adhere to these new deadlines to avoid disruptions in their operations.
Tobacco remains one of Zimbabwe’s major foreign currency earners, alongside gold, with a large proportion of tobacco being produced by smallholder farmers who were given land under the country’s land reform program that began in 2000.
In 2024, Zimbabwe’s tobacco export revenue increased by 16.6 percent, reaching US$1.4 billion from 243.3 million kilograms of tobacco exported. This marked an improvement from the previous year, where exports of 235.4 million kilograms generated US$1.2 billion.
In 2021, the government approved the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, which aims to increase production to 300 million kilograms and transform the sector into a US$5 billion economy. The plan also focuses on boosting local funding and expanding value-added tobacco products.
Despite a strong production peak of 297 million kilograms in 2023, the country’s output fell to 234 million kilograms in 2024 due to the impacts of the El Nino-induced drought.
