Zimbabwe is now shifting focus from production growth to market power, following fresh engagement with global tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PMI), as government seeks stronger value retention and direct access to international buyers.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Amon Murwira said the conversation marks a critical moment for a sector that underpins rural livelihoods and national export earnings.
Tobacco remains Zimbabwe’s single biggest agricultural foreign currency earner, with hundreds of thousands of families dependent on it.
“This is about sustainability and fairness in the global tobacco value chain,” Prof. Murwira said.
“Our farmers produce high-quality leaf, and the next step is ensuring better market access and stronger returns.”
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Beyond volumes, government is positioning tobacco within a wider reform agenda.
Murwira said economic and infrastructure reforms underway are aimed at improving investor confidence, policy certainty and ease of doing business across key sectors, including agriculture.
Zimbabwe also reaffirmed its alignment with international health frameworks under the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
Murwira said engagement with industry players does not dilute public health commitments but strengthens evidence-based policy dialogue.
Attention is now turning to direct procurement. Zimbabwe is targeting 500 million kilogrammes of tobacco output this season, with government pushing for closer integration into global supply chains as part of plans to build a US$7 billion tobacco industry by 2030.
“A diversified and reliable market is essential,” Murwira said.
“Strategic partnerships can transform tobacco from a survival crop into a driver of inclusive growth and rural industrialisation.”
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