By A Correspondent- The 2020 tobacco output is expected to dip 13% following the drought that ravaged the country last year.

This was revealed in an interview with TIMB Chairman Patrick Devenish who said:

The earliest estimate of the crop is approximately 225(million) kilogrammes although the irrigated crop is very good in quality, the dry land crop suffered the effects of drought and also the planting season began late because of the late onset of the rainy season

The irrigated crop (tobacco) is of very good quality and the dry land crop, not all of it but quite a lot of it is suffering as a result of drought and it needs a bit of some rains.

Last year farmers sold 259 million kilogrammes at the auction flows, a record all-time high.

-Statemedia