Naturally Cured Virginia Tobacco Marketing Season ...

Naturally Cured Virginia Tobacco Marketing Season Launched in Mangwe

Oscar J Jeke- Zim Now Reporter

The Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Vangelis Haritatos, on Thursday officially launched the Naturally Cured Virginia tobacco marketing season in Mangwe District, marking a step toward sustainable agriculture in Zimbabwe.

The event, held at the Bitumen World Training Centre in Marula, introduced a revolutionary approach to tobacco curing that eliminates the use of firewood and coal. Unlike traditional flue-cured tobacco, NCV tobacco undergoes a natural air-curing process that results in zero deforestation and carbon emissions.

“This is not just a launch; it is a milestone in our commitment to green agriculture and environmental stewardship,” said Hon. Haritatos during his address. “We are proud that Zimbabwe is taking the lead in sustainable tobacco production in Africa.”

The initiative, spearheaded in collaboration with the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, aims to reduce the environmental impact of tobacco farming a sector often criticized for its contribution to deforestation. According to environmental studies, conventional flue-curing methods can require up to 29 kilograms of wood-fuel to cure a single kilogram of tobacco.

Over 120 smallholder farmers, most of them women and widows from Mangwe District, participated in the launch, bringing in their NCV tobacco crops for sale. The tobacco was sold through the region’s first decentralised auction floor, designed to reduce transportation costs for rural farmers and increase their profit margins.

TIMB CEO Emmanuel Matsvaire said the move is expected to increase tobacco output in Matabeleland South while promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices. “We are witnessing an evolution in how tobacco is grown, cured, and marketed in Zimbabwe. This is the future,” he said.

The new marketing model is anticipated to spread to other districts, with government indicating plans to scale up the project nationally as part of its target for rural development and environmental protection.

The launch was attended by government officials, local leadership, and various stakeholders in the agriculture and environmental sectors. Farmers received training on best practices for NCV tobacco cultivation and marketing.

Zimbabwe is currently Africa’s largest tobacco producer, and the shift to NCV tobacco is seen as a timely intervention to safeguard forests and align the country’s agriculture sector with global climate goals.