By Chisomo Phiri
President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has described the 2023 Tobacco Marketing Season as one that is going to satisfy tobacco farmers in the country following the impressive prices fetched by the first lot of leaf at the market .
As at 10:20 am, the highest price recorded was $2.60 with most of the leaf going at an average price of $1.40.
Speaking at opening of the 2023 Malawi’s gold marketing season at Auction Floors in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Chakwera said the good prices is an indication that despite growing voices against the crop globally, Malawi’s economy still leans heavily on tobacco as a major forex earner.
The president assured that his administration will keep supporting tobacco growing in the country crop with necessary regulatory frameworks and more markets for it to continue benefiting Malawi’s economy.
He then called on tobacco companies to fairly maintain and upscale the pricing structure across the buying season so that hardworking farmers find a decent income from their labour.
“I continue to call for compliance to environmental sustainability, human rights, governance and Agricultural Labour Practices (ALP).
“My administration will continue reinforcing a sanitized value chain characterized by best practices from growers, market operators, grower associations, transporters and other stakeholders.
“That way, we can all be assured of a profitable marketing season that benefits farming households in particular and the economy in general,” said Chakwera.
On his part, Minister of Agriculture, Samuel Kawale,disclosed that his Ministry has managed to source more tobacco buyers, and the number is currently at 10, with 2 more expected to join the market shortly, all to ensure that farmers are getting good prices.
Kawale further revealed that his Ministry has finalized a new tobacco bill that will be presented in parliament in June. Once passed into law, it will see tobacco farmers benefiting more from the crop than the buyers. In the meantime, the government will ensure that all tobacco buyers adhere to the set farm gate price of the crop.
Total volume projected for this year’s marketing season is 125 million kilograms.
