Zimbabwe has so far exported a total of 22.1 million kilograms of Virginia tobacco valued at about 66 million U.S. dollars to various destinations in the first five months of this year, according to The Herald on Tuesday.

However, this is a decrease from the 38.5 million kg worth 115.5 million dollars from the amount of tobacco that was exported during the same period last year.

This is attributed to challenges such as pricing and poor deliveries that haunted the sector last year.

Last year, a total of 61.3 million kg were exported during the first five months of the year.

The month of February recorded the highest tobacco exports of 10.3 million kg worth 10.3 million dollars compared to 14 million kg last year.

May recorded the least amount of tobacco exported. A total of 1million kg worth three million dollars were exported while last year, same period, 3.9 million kg were exported.

Tobacco Industry Marketing Board statistics show that the bulk of the crop is being exported to Europe.

Zimbabwe exports semi-processed tobacco to the European Union, the Middle East, the Far East, Oceania and Americas and other countries in Africa.

Most of the crop exported fetches prices significantly higher than those offered to growers at the auction floors where raw tobacco is sold.

The golden leaf owes its special quality to Zimbabwe's tropical climate, which promotes the production of a leaf that burns continuously.

However, local production had declined over the past years because of lack of critical inputs, recurrent droughts and poor fuel supplies among other factors.

Nevertheless, this season, tobacco growers are delivering their crop to the auction floors unlike the previous season where they were withholding much of it due to unfavourable prices that were being offered by the buyers.

Unlike in the past seasons that were characterised by disputes over payments, misgivings over the pricing of the crop and shortage of aluminum foils, this season has been calm because of attractive prices.

Despite the decline in production, tobacco remains one of the major country's foreign currency earners.

Source: Xinhua