Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector produced a record 352.7mn kg in 2025, but insurers and growers have warned that without wider crop cover the gains could be short-lived, The Herald has reported.

According to The Herald, the marketing season closed above the government’s 300mn kg target, generating $1.2bn in receipts as output rose 53% year on year.

The state-owned newspaper said the surge was attributed to the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan and favourable weather. However, it noted that the same weather volatility, combined with hail, barn fires and other natural hazards, has emerged as the main threat that could quickly erode earnings.

Financial services firm Quantum Multiple Agent told The Herald that the solution lies in scaling up crop insurance from “field to floor.”

Chief executive Thomas Maguyu stated that cover must become a standard input, no different from seed or fertiliser, if the industry is to maintain its gains. “Insurance remains imperative to sustain these volumes,” he said, noting that small-scale growers, who accounted for much of the expansion, are also the most exposed.

The Herald reported that the company, a subsidiary of Black Eagle Holdings, insured about 11,000 farmers last season through contracting firms and plans to expand coverage to 14,000 in the coming season. Nonetheless, the newspaper said uptake remains limited.

A recent survey cited by the outlet found that only 39% of tobacco farmers participate in insurance schemes, leaving 61% uncovered. Low incomes, limited access to providers in rural areas and paper-heavy claims processes were identified as the main deterrents. Many farmers reportedly pay premiums but never claim, often due to a lack of knowledge on how to do so.

Record volumes have increased the stakes, making risk transfer as important as agronomy. Maguyu told The Herald that investment in curing infrastructure, including improved barns, would help reduce fire losses that frequently affect smallholders.