Four auction floors have been licensed for the 2012 tobacco selling season which is set to begin mid next month, industry regulator Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) said.
Andrew Matibiri, TIMB chief executive said it had received 30 applications and enquiries but only Boka Tobacco Auction Floors (BTAF), Millenniun Tobacco Floors (MTF), Premier Tobacco Auction Floors (PTAF) and Tobacco Sales Floor (TSF) were successful.
He said the organisation had not completed its forecast of volumes that are likely to be sold this season.
“It’s too early to come up with estimates right now because we have farmers who were planting their crop just barely three weeks ago,” he said.
He however said not decentralisation of the auction will carried out this season despite calls by farmers to do so to ease increased transport cost and risk of damage to their crop.
He said sales bookings would be opening on the 6th of while deliveries will be accepted by the 9th of February but farmers would be required to be booked their crop in before delivery.
Contract tobacco sales will begin February 16.
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