Zimbabwe has an agro-based economy, the green in the the country’s flag stands for agriculture.
Just like the yellow stands for mineral wealth, represented by gold. Zimbabwe’s leaf tobacco is regarded as green gold making up a substantial amount of the country’s earnings, at some point it earned $1 billion per annum, not sure of the current position.
A Wikipedia article that comes when you search “which country produces the most tobacco in Africa” might makes the claim that Zimbabwe produced the most tobacco in Africa and sixth in the world
Only 1,5 percent of locally produced tobacco is channelled towards local processing, with the rest being exported in raw form. It is used for blending in export markets because of its good quality.
Tobacco production is also tied to the growing global health concerns
80 percent of the world’s smokers live in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and eight million people die due to smoking-related disease every year. “The WHO estimates that one billion people will die of smoking-related diseases by 2100,” according to a report by a UK-based public health agency, Knowledge Action Change
The research proposes adopting alternative products such as pasteurised oral snus (moist power smokeless tobacco), e-cigarettes, vapours and heated tobacco products (HTPs) that present substantial tobacco harm reduction THR
For countries such as Zimbabwe, where the success and growth of the economy has made bed fellows with tobacco, exploring and investing in less risky alternative to tobacco consumption might be a lifeline for the green gold.
“People smoke for the nicotine, but it is the other components of cigarette smoke that do most of the damage. . . Cigarettes are the most dangerous form of nicotine delivery, not least because they involve the burning of plant-based material . . .
“Alternative nicotine products can present a substantial reduction in harm reduction,” said neuropsychopharmacologist Prof David Nutt, the chair of Drug Science, a non-profit organisation that provides evidence-based information on drugs.
Tobacco-rette Pvt Ltd is the sole distributor of Swedish Snus in Zimbabwe. Currently they import three flavours. These are Rapé, Menthol and Original.
Snus is an alternate form of nicotine intake and is healthier than cigarettes to the body and to the environment. Swedish Snus has been making in-roads in the nicotine market and research from the country shows how Sweden currently has the least number of smoking related lung cancer instances.
Snus comes in different grades and strengths and the Strong Snus Guide gives a tutorial on some of the different grades of snus
It should be noted that nicotine is an addictive stimulant and should not be introduced to persons under the age of 18.
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For years an aunt of mine grew tobacco and never made any money. She got very good at it over the years, had the loveliest barns but the way they grade the leaf you will die pauper if you don’t know people. Eventually she gave up. Many have, including the savvy young farmers. Zim could easily do great with the leaf again but so many issues. There’s nothing in it for the ordinary farmer anymore
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A cousin of mine once roped me into investing money I did not have into his tobacco venture…. 🤣🤣🤣
And that tobacco auction system is one of the biggest scams ever…..
I forgot to highlight in this article how it’s never the farmers who get the millions from tobacco maybe I might do a follow up article on the untold tobacco story.
~B
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Tell us more about the untold stories of the green leaf hidden behind the so called success stories. Most worrying too is the cutting down of trees to cure the tobacco.
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like who is really benefitting from the millions that tobacco is supposed tobe making
~B
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