Tobacco sales open tomorrow
This year’s tobacco marketing season opens tomorrow at Kanengo Auction Floors in Lilongwe where about 15 000 tobacco bales are up for sale.
This year’s marketing season comes amid overproduction by 33 percent against the demand of 158.1 million kilogrammes (kg), according to first round crop estimates which were released in February. The estimates had put production at 211 million kg.
In an interview yesterday, Tobacco Control Commision (TCC) chief executive officer Albert Changaya said President Peter Mutharika will officially open the marketing season of the crop touted as a major foreign exchange earner for the economy.
He said nine buyers will compete for the leaf.
However, this year’s marketing season has come at a period when some parts of the country are receiving heavy rains with the Northern Region being the most affected.
The severe weather in the region has affected the delivery of tobacco to Mzuzu Auction Floors which currently has only 35 bales ahead of its opening on April 20.
TCC’s regional manager (Central) Richard Chinthunzi said Chinkhoma market in n
Limbe has 1 753 bales.Kasungu has 6 549 bales while
He said transporting of tobacco to the floors has been affected because of the rains as some roads are now impassable.
Tobacco Association of Malawi (Tama) chief executive officer Graham Kunimba said the quality of the leaf will be compromised as it might retain high moisture content which puts off buyers.
He said: “Due to the rains, the leaf might also have some water stains, which compromises the quality further.”
Last year, Malawi produced 192 million kg which earned $337.4 million. n
Do fellow Malawians really appreciate the value of tobacco where it is exported? This crop is worth BILLIONS OF DOLLARS and yet we are happy to net only 300 MILLION DOLLARS? Why are we still enriching western countries where governments tax tobacco products heavily to the extent that if tobacco was not grown in places like Malawi, their economies would suffer significantly?
Fellow Malawians, stop this modern day slavery and invest in crops which will bring real wealth to our country. Tobacco is not the answer to our economic problems, it is one of the causes of our problems. Look at the amount of trees which have been lost to tobacco farming? Look at the lost opportunities in land/ human resources in the process of supporting tobacco farming?
Mutharika and his diaspora friends should know better after living in the USA/UK for so long. They should be championing the sidelining of this evil crop and not promoting it by showing his nose on auction opening? Naivety among Malawians is simply astounding and baffling!!! Wake up fellow Malawians and do something different!!!