Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A KEY industry committee is advocating for a modernisation of the country’s tobacco grading system to enhance transparency, accountability, and fairness.
The committee seeks to simplify the current, extensive classification by developing a streamlined framework.
The proposed system is designed to support the creation of a price matrix for contract sales and improve statistical analysis, while upholding the high standards associated with Zimbabwean tobacco.
According to insiders, a meeting was held last Friday hosted by the Inter-Continental Leaf Tobacco Company to deliberate on a new grading system.
It brought together representatives from major stakeholders such as the Macfarlane Mashonaland Tobacco Company, Premium Leaf Zimbabwe, Atlas Tobacco, Zimbabwe Leaf Tobacco as well as the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).
The meeting was chaired by Cyprian Foya of Inter-Continental Leaf Tobacco Company.
“The committee delivered a number of proposals that included the eradication of all first and second quality grades that carry the extra factors V, K, D, G, Q, and Y,” a source said.
“They also proposed the total elimination of the ‘S’ colour and ‘H’ grades.”
It was agreed that there should be no lemon colour in the Tips group, and that the “E” colour should be excluded from the leaf group and start from the cutter group instead.
Other proposed changes include the reintroduction of a “J” extra factor to serve as an intermediate grade between standard and slatey tobacco as well as the introduction of a new colour “M” between the existing “O” and “R” classifications.
The recommendations will be forwarded to the TIMB for formal adoption.
The current grading system, featuring 1 302 distinct grades, was adopted from the United States Department of Agriculture in 1946 and primarily serves statistical purposes.
The tobacco industry is currently undergoing a significant transformation focused on innovation, sustainability, and empowerment, boosting the multi-million dollar agriculture value chain.
In a related move to curb malpractices, the TIMB has implemented a biometric system to eliminate side marketing, which is suspected of fueling illicit financial flows in the sector.
TIMB chief executive officer Emmanuel Matsvaire confirmed that the sector is in a transformative phase.
“The biometric security system implemented as per TIMB plans has made positive strides in the elimination of side marketing,” he said.
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