14 Oct 2026

 The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) on Tuesday urged growers to insure their 2026/27 crop, saying uninsured losses can wipe out a season's income and threaten livelihoods.

TIMB public affairs officer, Rhyne Chikuni said the advice was part of its push to make farmers treat tobacco as a business.

"Over the past seasons, some farmers lost everything to adversities such as barn fires, hailstorms, theft in storage or in transit etc. When the crop is not insured, it means the farmers would have lost everything for that season. It means failure to settle contractors' debts. It means loss of livelihoods. It means failure of the farmers to transition into the envisaged middle-income society by 2030," he said.

Chikuni said 115,121 growers registered for the 2026 season and planted 164,536 hectares, but the average price fell to US$2.49 per kg this season from about US$3.30 per kg in 2025, making margins thinner.

He said the Board's advice followed the tobacco calendar, but the timing matched the hailstorm that hit Masvingo on 5 October 2026.

"This is a reminder of how quickly a season's investment can be lost. We emphasise that farmers need to get insured especially during this season where an El Nino is predicted. Hailstorm and wind damage are more

prevalent in abnormal seasons such as the one which has been predicted," he said.

He said tobacco was an economic product, so disturbances at any stage affected overall economic performance.

"The worst part is when the leaves have fully expanded and are at

biomass accumulation stage. Farmers lose both yield and quality," Chikuni said.

On what is covered, Chikuni said: "Different insurance premiums cover different losses. The common ones are hailstorms, wind, barn fires, sabotage and transit losses. Farmers need to pay attention to their contracts with insurers on what losses are insured."

He said AFC Insurance was mentioned because it is a government institution.

 "Government's drive is centered on financial inclusion of the marginalised small-scale farmers, farmer viability and treating farming as a business. The partnership that exists between TIMB and AFC is a social contract to insure those farmers who are mostly excluded by the private players," he said.

Chikuni said TIMB is working with the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) and the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) to develop a Tobacco Insurance Framework to remove the small print and protect small-scale farmers.

He said farmers can use other insurers but must check with IPEC and avoid conflict of interest where a contractor is also the insurer.

He warned growers: "They should not assign anyone to sign insurance forms on their behalf. Where farmers are not sure, they should reach out to TIMB or IPEC." 

On cost, he said inputs cover is usually per hectare and ranges from US$80 to US$105, with some private insurers charging up to US$200.

"At this season's average yield of about 2,150 kg per hectare and price of US$2.49/kg, one hectare of tobacco grossed roughly US$5,350, so an inputs cover of US$80–105 per hectare costs only about 1.5–2 percent of what is at risk," Chikuni said.

He, however, said the crop insurance uptake remains low at about 40 percent, similar to a 2025 industry survey that found 39 percent insured and 61 percent uncovered.

On claims, he said inspections are done at the time of loss and payment is usually settled when sales start, warning that side-marketing to avoid premium deductions is a criminal offence. New Ziana