Crops and cooperatives
Tobacco marketing in Tanzania
Short answer
- Regulator
- Tanzania Tobacco Board, Morogoro 3
- Main law
- Tobacco Industry Act, Cap. 202, in force 1 July 2002 1
- Licence portal
- e-Kilimo, portal.kilimo.go.tz 4
- Grower registration fee
- None, per the Board 5
- 2025/26 average price
- US$1.95 per kg, announced 21 January 2026 6
- 2024/25 sales
- 185,776,212.96 kg worth US$475,452,781.16, average US$2.56 per kg 7
- Growers in 2024/25
- 112,982 farmers 7
Law and the Tobacco Board
The Tobacco Industry Act, Cap. 202 came into force on 1 July 2002. The Board must promote the production, processing and marketing of tobacco and may register or license growers, sellers and processors (section 5) 1.
Anyone growing tobacco for sale must register with the Board before planting (section 7). A person buying green leaf tobacco from the field needs a green leaf buying licence (section 16) 1. TanzLII notes an amendment of 25 December 2009 that is not applied in its text 1.
Contracts, classification and sale
- Buyers may pre-finance growers under farming contracts the Board approves. Contracts are signed for each season (section 16) 1.
- Tobacco is classified at the market centre before sale. Selling or buying green leaf that a registered classifier has not classified is barred (sections 17 and 18) 1.
- A buyer who signs a grower already under contract with another buyer, or who fails to pay growers for tobacco already bought, can lose its licence (section 24) 1.
- The Tobacco Council agrees minimum indicative prices for each grade (section 42) 1.
- A levy on processed or imported tobacco goes to the Tobacco Industry Development Fund (sections 37 to 39) 1.
Registration and licences
The Board registers all tobacco growers and issues them identity cards. A grower must plan to plant within six months, farm in a zone declared fit for tobacco and have at least one hectare. A primary society or group applies with the names of its member farmers. The Board charges no registration fee 5.
The Board issues licences to buy raw tobacco at the farm, import raw tobacco, process tobacco, buy or sell processed tobacco and export tobacco. Applications go through e-Kilimo. The Board may refuse an applicant who owes money to the Board, a farmer, a buyer or a processor 4.
Prices and the 2024/25 season
The Board announced an average price of US$1.95 per kg for the 2025/26 season after a Tobacco Council meeting on 21 January 2026. Director General Stanley Mnozya announced the price, and buyers were told to observe it 6.
The Board's final report for 2024/25, which carries no date in its text, gives these totals by tobacco type. The text of the report does not tie the sun cured and dark fire cured rows to a type, so they are shown together 7.
| Type | Farmers | Sales (kg) | Value (US$) | Average (US$ per kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flue cured Virginia 7 | 109,351 7 | 183,463,524.60 7 | 470,571,987.99 7 | 2.56 7 |
| Burley 7 | 2,560 7 | 1,517,788.22 7 | 2,834,406.42 7 | 1.87 7 |
| Sun cured Virginia and dark fire cured, two rows 7 | 857 and 212 7 | 145,624.56 and 178,866.24 7 | 264,885.54 and 365,568.50 7 | 1.82 and 2.04 7 |
| Dark air cured 7 | 2 7 | 470,409.34 7 | 1,415,932.71 7 | 3.01 7 |
Payment delays
Tobacco firms were ordered to pay farmers more than US$5 million, about TSh 12.25 billion, owed for the previous season's crop, with interest, by 30 October 2025, as reported by Hawa Kimwaga of The Citizen on 11 October 2025 8. The firms and the body that gave the order were not named in the text that could be read 8.
The Tobacco Regulations, 2000 (GN 296 of 2000) required payment within 14 days of the market day and allowed factory sales by private treaty or auction 2. They were revoked on 29 July 2005 by the Tobacco Industry Regulations, 2005 (GN 216 of 2005), which could not be opened for this guide 2.
Common questions
Do tobacco farmers in Tanzania pay to register?
No. The Tobacco Board says no registration fee is paid to it 5.
How do I get a tobacco buying licence in Tanzania?
Apply through the e-Kilimo portal at portal.kilimo.go.tz 4.
What is the tobacco price in Tanzania for 2025/26?
The Board set an average of US$1.95 per kg on 21 January 2026 6.
How much tobacco did Tanzania sell in 2024/25?
185,776,212.96 kg worth US$475,452,781.16, per the Board's final report 7.
Can tobacco be sold before classification?
No. Green leaf must be classified by a registered classifier before sale 1.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].
Sources
- TanzLII: Tobacco Industry Act, Cap. 202 (version of 31 July 2002)
- TanzLII: Tobacco Regulations, 2000, GN 296 of 2000
- Tanzania Tobacco Board: Home page (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Tanzania Tobacco Board: Leseni na Vibali, licences and permits (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Tanzania Tobacco Board: Usajili wa Wakulima wa Tumbaku, grower registration (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Tanzania Tobacco Board: Average tobacco price for the 2025/26 season (21 January 2026)
- Tanzania Tobacco Board: Final report on green leaf tobacco buying, 2024/25 season (undated, accessed 24 October 2026)
- The Citizen, Hawa Kimwaga: Tobacco firms ordered to pay farmers Sh12.25 billion arrears with interest by October 30 (11 October 2025)
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