Source: TIMB to waive 0,75pc afforestation charge – herald
Martin Kadzere
The Government has directed the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board to immediately waive the 0,75 percent afforestation levy for farmers who do not use firewood for curing.
The strategic move aligns the sector with global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards as Zimbabwe targets the complete elimination of firewood use in tobacco curing by 2029.
Currently, farmers are charged a blanket 0,75 percent levy on total earnings to fund reforestation, a pool that has grown to approximately US$50 million in the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
However, the tax has historically failed to exempt those using alternative energy or those producing air-cured Burley tobacco.
Under the new directive, the Government aims to rectify this, ensuring environmentally conscious farmers are no longer penalised for sustainable practices.
Incentivising the green transition
Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Dr Anxious Masuka, said the incentive motivates a shift towards alternative methods like coal, solar and natural air-drying.
“We actually want to transition as an industry so that by 2029 we will not be using firewood for curing, specifically to address environmental and governance issues,” Dr Masuka said last week.
High-value niche markets
The waiver comes as international merchants increasingly demand “green” tobacco.
Aligning with ESG standards is no longer optional, as global markets shift toward ethical sourcing and reduced carbon footprints. Dr Masuka noted that the push is driven by the need to access high-value niche markets that now shun wood-cured products.
Exemptions
TIMB chief executive Mr Emmanuel Matsvaire confirmed that a verification framework is already underway.
“In Matabeleland, where air-curing is standard, all farmers are now exempt. In other regions, we have embarked on an exercise to identify those not using firewood to formally exclude them from the levy,” he said.
The urgency of the shift was underscored by a Springer Nature study published on January 28, 2025, which revealed that tobacco farming is responsible for 15 percent of all deforestation in Zimbabwe.
The study warned that the tobacco industry expansion and volatile climate conditions are placing unsustainable pressure on depleted forests.
By identifying wood demand as the primary driver of forest loss, the research called for a multifaceted approach to curb degradation.
“Environmental and tobacco farming agencies, governments, and communities have to use research for planning and decision-making processes and adopt the proffered efforts to enhance collaborative engagement and effective forest management in the agriculture sector,” the study highlighted.
Sustainable energy woodlots
To mitigate this, the Forestry Commission has intensified the establishment of energy woodlots, specifically using fast-maturing eucalyptus trees.
Since 2005, this initiative has been championed as a sustainable alternative to indigenous forests.
The Sustainable Afforestation Association has supported these efforts by planting over 22 000 hectares of trees since 2014, including community woodlot trials in Mashonaland Central, Manicaland and Mashonaland East.
However, significant barriers remain.
Farmers face challenges such as limited water access, high seedling mortality, and pest infestations.
Furthermore, the high startup costs of green alternatives, such as solar-powered curing systems, continue to hinder widespread adoption for many small-scale growers.
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