Zimbabwe tobacco harvest hits record 357M kg

Zimbabwe concluded its 2026 tobacco marketing season on Thursday with a record output exceeding 357 million kg, surpassing last year's 354.8 million kg, according to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board. While the harvest marks a nominal achievement, the sector remains trapped in a structural vulnerability: the vast majority of leaf is sold as green leaf, capturing minimal value-addition margins. Growers are increasingly at the mercy of a single Chinese buyer class used to suppress auction prices.