Zimbabwe has sold 11.2 million kilograms of flue cured tobacco valued at 20.5 million U.S. dollars since the auction floors opened on April 25, representing a 31.14 percent jump from the same period last year, said the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board Friday.

The figures indicate that more tobacco has been sold through the contract system, which has a market share of 35 percent.

Tobacco production dropped from a peak of 237 million kg in 2000 to below 50 million kg in 2003 before it started to rebound in 2004 to 68 million kg and 70 million kg last year. Tobacco is one of the country's leading foreign currency earners.

Source: Xinhua