Zimbabwe is one of the world's leading competitive producers of high quality tobacco. The tobacco industry plays a vital role in the economy in terms of foreign currency generation and employment creation.  Tobacco contributes about a third of the total foreign currency earnings of the country and directly employs more than one million people, and many more in the down stream industries.

Tobacco is grown in "15 districts" that are categorised into slow, medium and fast growing areas.  The largest hectarage under tobacco ever attained in Zimbabwe was 92 000 hectares in the late 1990s, while the highest ever achieved production of flue cured tobacco was 237 million kg in 2000.  There has been, however, a steady decline in both hectarage and yields since then to as low as 55 million kg in the 2005/06 tobacco season. There are concerted efforts from all stakeholders to rebound the tobacco industry, and in the 2006/2007 season 75 million kg are expected. 

Tobacco is marketed through the dual marketing system, that is, the contract and auction systems.  The contract system was recently introduced to attract more contractors and investors as a strategy to reverse the current trend in tobacco production.

The importance of the tobacco industry to the Zimbabwe economy led to the establishment of the Tobacco Research Board.  The Tobacco Research Board is a statutory body re-constituted under the Tobacco Research Act of 1950, and is mandated to direct, control and conduct research on tobacco.  It also undertakes both long-term research and short-term advisory and support services on request from growers and merchants. The TRB provides various agro-based commercial services and products, including contract research.

 

The TRB is funded predominantly from a levy from growers and tobacco merchants, grants from government, and from the sale of commercial products and services.

To be the recognized leader in agro-based research and analytical services.

The Tobacco Research Board continues to build on its international reputation to provide cost-effective services that add value to client operations while maximizing stakeholder returns.

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