By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Sales: Tobacco sales exceeded $130 million during the 2025/26 growing season.
- Production: Nearly 46,000 growers marketed 69.2 million kilograms of leaf.
- Next Season: Regulators are reviewing levies and preparing growers for possible drought conditions.
Zambia’s tobacco growers earned more than $130 million this season, even though the harvest fell short of expectations.
The Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ) reported that nearly 46,000 registered growers marketed 69.2 million kilograms of tobacco in the 2025/26 season, falling short of the 80 million kilograms officials had targeted.
TBZ Executive Director Robert Mwale said flue-cured Virginia tobacco accounted for 87% of the marketed volume, with burley making up the remaining 13%. Fifteen licensed buyers participated in the season.
The country’s grower base increased from about 42,000 in the previous season to 46,000, reflecting continued interest in tobacco production. The industry supports rural livelihoods through farming, transportation, input supply, and processing.
Attention is now turning to improving grower returns and strengthening compliance with the Tobacco (General) Regulations 2026, which took effect in May.
The regulations set requirements for grower registration, bale identification, traceability, and tobacco quality. They also provide for a 2% levy on the sales value of qualifying tobacco.
On Oct. 22, TBZ announced it was considering reducing the levy to improve farmers’ earnings and strengthen the competitiveness of Zambian leaf. “Our objective is to make tobacco farming more viable for our growers while protecting the value and reputation of Zambian tobacco,” Mwale said.
The board is also preparing farmers for potential El Niño-related weather disruptions during the 2026/27 growing season. Growers have been encouraged to improve water management, preserve soil moisture, monitor weather forecasts, and consider measures to reduce crop losses.
The combination of lower-than-targeted marketed volumes, regulatory changes, and possible drought conditions poses challenges for Zambia as it seeks to expand tobacco production and improve returns for its growers.
