The 2014 tobacco marketing season is set to begin on February 19 with auction sales while contract sales will start a day later.

The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board said three floors - Tobacco Sales Floor Limited, Boka Tobacco Auction Floor and Premier Tobacco Auction Floors - have been licensed to buy tobacco from farmers.

Zimbabwe earned $621.1 million from tobacco in 2013 after tobacco targets were reduced from 170 million kg to 165,5 million kg following a decline in deliveries at most contract floors.

However, tobacco output is expected to surpass 2013's harvest as the number of farmers registered to grow the golden leaf this season increased by 32 percent.

Statistics from the TIMB show that the number of growers who had registered to grow the crop by January 10 is 85 076. About 65 256 growers had registered to grow tobacco during the same period last season.

Farmers have said they expect the price of tobacco to go above US$5 per kg considering the good quality of their crop.

Tags: Tobacco,