Zimbabwe's tobacco auction floors will officially open to buyers on 4 March 2026, with authorities confirming that all farmers have received payments from last season's sales.
The announcement was made by Emmanuel Matsvaire, chief executive officer of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), while giving oral evidence before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands and Agriculture on Tuesday.
Matsvaire said preparations for the 2026 tobacco marketing season were complete, with regulatory and logistical arrangements already finalised.
"The commencement of the tobacco selling season is on the 4th of March, 2026, and contract sales will start the following day, which is the 5th of March.
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"We have put in place all logistical requirements and the regulatory issues are all up to date," Matsvaire said.
He added that TIMB was at an advanced stage of readiness ahead of the official opening ceremony, which will be held at the Tobacco Service Board.
"This occasion will also serve as the official launch of our Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan 2 which will be officially launched by the Lands and Agriculture minister (Anxious Masuka)."
On grower registration, Matsvaire told legislators that 115,121 farmers had registered for the 2026 season, slightly down from 127,379 recorded last year.
"But our way for small scale growers continue to dominate with 85% of them contracted.
"In terms of total area that is planted, it increased by 15% from 143,000 hectares to 25%, about 164,536 hectares."
Providing an outlook on market performance, Matsvaire said export earnings remained strong.
"ln terms of our tobacco stock movement and market outlook there is strong performance in terms of exports where we have exported in mid-February, 399 approximately 400 million worth of tobacco.
"The upcoming crop, which is the 2026 crop, is projected to be approximately 400 million kgs of tobacco. But there is a slight reduction by China, where they will reduce by 10 million kgs."
He told the committee that alternative export markets were expected to absorb any surplus resulting from reduced demand.
TIMB has licensed three auction floors for the upcoming season -- Tobacco Sales Floor, Premier Tobacco Auction Floor and Ethical Sales Floor, a newly approved facility -- alongside five decentralised selling points across provinces.
"We have got five decentralized selling points across the provinces that have been approved to operate.
"We also have 48 contractors and we will implement a blended grade price matrix which is a weighted average derived from both the auction and contract sales.
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"This is designed to enhance fairness, transparency and also ensure price stability. In terms of the payment system and modalities for farmers, the Reserve Bank also assured us that the current retention of 70-30% will exist in 2026 marketing season, where 30% will be the local sick."
Matsvaire said payment systems were fully operational, with TIMB monitoring merchants to ensure farmers receive payments within 48 hours of sale.
"In terms of debt recovery, measures, priority will be placed on a sustainable debt recovery mechanism to protect farmers, maintain contractor confidence and ensure sector sustainability," Matsvaire told the committee.
Zimbabwe's tobacco sector remains one of the country's top foreign currency earners, with authorities hoping the new marketing season will sustain export growth and farmer incomes.
