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The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has introduced a biometric grower management system to improve efficiency and deliver better services to growers and stakeholders, the system uses fingerprint verification to identify and authenticate tobacco farmers, ensuring accurate record-keeping and reducing the risk of multiple contracts and default rates.
Compliance Administration Officer, Pelagia Marumahoko, explained that the introduction of biometrics has become a fundamental part of the registration process, with growers being cooperative despite some initial skepticism. To address challenges with older farmers or those with worn fingerprints, registration teams have been trained to capture multiple fingerprints as an alternative.
The biometric system represents a significant technological upgrade for TIMB, aligning with its vision to transform Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector into a $60 billion industry by 2028. With biometric verification now required at input distribution and selling points, the industry is experiencing a cultural shift towards greater accountability and transparency.
“Farmers will be verified using biometric scanners when collecting inputs and selling their crop. This will prevent multiple contracts under different merchants and reduce default rates,” said TIMB Acting CEO Emmanuel Matsvaire. The introduction of biometric technology is set to redefine identity, ownership, and accountability in the tobacco industry, one fingerprint at a time.
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