The first round tobacco estimates are expected to be released late this week as a key stakeholder TAMA farmers’ trust remains hopeful the season will be successful.
A team of field workers comprising of officials from the Tobacco Commission, TAMA and representatives from other industry stakeholders have been on the ground since a fortnight ago assessing the leaf development at its initial stages.
“The fieldwork has been completed and the team is to meet this week to analyze the data before releasing an assessment report end this week or early next week,” Felix Thole, Chief Executive Officer for TAMA farmers Trust said on Monday.
Thole has further said, “Tobacco is there this season and although this first assessment report is not yet out, a snap survey that we conducted in December showed that obviously we are going to have a good season but for now let’s wait until this extensive assessment report is released.”
Thole’s optimism is coming at a time most districts are receiving favorable rains.
Last year, farmers overproduced by 30%- a development that affected the pricing of the country’s green gold due to demand and supply forces such that the earnings dropped by 30% as well from $337 million in 2018 to $237 million in 2019.