Zero Deforestation.
Zero Firewood.
Zero Compromise.
Centralised, solar-powered curing villages with biogas backup — eliminating firewood from Zimbabwe's tobacco supply chain and solving the 2029 compliance mandate.
Zimbabwe's Tobacco Industry Has a Deforestation Problem
130,000
Registered tobacco farmers
$400M+
Tobacco value destroyed annually by poor curing
2029
Government deadline to ban firewood curing
$57M+
Annual merchant losses from side marketing
Every year, smallholder tobacco farmers burn approximately 330,000 hectares of indigenous woodland to cure their tobacco in inefficient, wood-fired barns. The Zimbabwe government has mandated that all firewood-based curing must cease by 2029. There is currently no compliant infrastructure at scale to replace it. Marillion Curing Villages is that infrastructure.
Beyond deforestation, merchants lose over $57 million annually to side marketing — contracted farmers diverting cured tobacco to competing buyers. Nearly 12,000 dual-registered farmers have been discovered in a single investigation. Marillion's custody transfer model eliminates this structurally.
From Field to Merchant Warehouse — One Integrated System
Solar curing tunnels + modular biogas plant. $75,000 per village. 90-day construction. Merchant funds the CAPEX — Marillion designs, builds, and commissions.
10 farmers × 1 hectare each = 25,000 kg capacity per season. Automated 7-day curing cycle. Solar primary, biogas backup. Zero firewood. Precision temperature and humidity control.
Tied, barcoded, graded, baled, and delivered to the merchant's warehouse. Full traceability from field to export. Diamond Standard carbon credits generated on every kilogram.
Five Revenue Streams Per Village
Operations Fee
All-in service fee paid by merchant, increases $0.10/kg annually
$1.60/kg Year 1, rising to $2.00/kg by Year 5
Construction Management
10% of CAPEX, one-time fee on build
$7,500 per village
Carbon Credits
Diamond Standard verified, 5% annual price escalation
247.5 credits × $15 = $3,713/year
Electricity Sales
Surplus biogas CHP electricity to grid/community
$3,750/year
Fertiliser Sales
Digestate from biogas distributed to farmers
$2,580/year
130,000
Registered Smallholder Farmers
13,000
Villages Required (Smallholder)
$640M/yr
Total Addressable Curing Market
$520M smallholder · $640M national (400M kg forecast)
3.3%
Marillion Year 5 Market Share
Redefining Tobacco Curing
Our integrated approach combines renewable energy, modern engineering, and community development to create world-class curing infrastructure.
Solar-Powered Curing
State-of-the-art solar thermal technology replaces traditional wood-fired curing, cutting costs and environmental impact.
Village Infrastructure
Complete curing village design and construction, optimized for high-volume tobacco processing in rural communities.
Sustainable Practices
Eliminating deforestation while improving tobacco leaf quality through precision temperature and humidity control.
Year 1 Target Impact
5 villages delivering measurable environmental and social outcomes from day one.
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Year 1 Target
Villages Operational
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Year 1 Target
Farmers Integrated
0
Year 1 Target
Hectares Under Sustainable Curing
0
Year 1 Target
CO₂e Avoided (tonnes)
0
Year 1 Target
Jobs Created (FTEs)
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Year 1 Target
Clean Energy Generated (kWh)