tobacco cheating unearthed

Mr. Wonder Chabikwa. ZCFU president

Hundreds of tobacco bales have been rejected and held by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board after it emerged that some unscrupulous farmers are now putting foreign objects inside to boost weight and dupe auctioneers.


ZBC News visited Boka Tobacco Auction Floors where hundreds of bales have been rejected after bricks, stones, and metal bars were discovered in them.

The foreign matter would be covered by quality tobacco.

The president of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union, Mr Wonder Chabikwa warned farmers against such acts saying it is criminal and amounts to fraud.

Chabikwa said such dishonesty compromises the confidence that the international market has on the local tobacco crop.

According to ZBC news, one farmer whose crop had been withdrawn from the sales refuted the allegations, but instead accused the TIMB officials of swindling the farmers through the rejection process.

According to the TIMB regulations, any farmer who is caught cheating is fined $20 before he is allowed to regrade his crop for resale. source: ZBC