TOBACCO TEARS! Zimbabwe Farmers Revolt as Auction Prices Crash to 50 Cents
Angry farmers staged protests as Zimbabwe’s 2026 tobacco marketing season opened with shockingly low prices at auction floors in Harare.
The season began with a first-bale price of $4.60 per kilogram, slightly below last year’s $4.65, but the optimism quickly faded. Within hours, some low-grade tobacco was selling for as little as 50 to 60 US cents per kilogram, sparking outrage among growers who say the prices are unsustainable.
“I can’t sell my tobacco at $1 per kilogram,” one frustrated farmer complained. “How will we afford inputs for next season?”
According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, global oversupply is driving prices down as major producers sit on large stockpiles from previous years. Demand from China a key buyer of Zimbabwe’s leaf, has also fallen sharply.
Despite the crisis, Zimbabwe hopes to sell up to 400 million kg this season, far higher than last year’s 335 million kg, raising fears that the price slump could worsen.