LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Tobacco Commission (TC) says all is set for the 2020 tobacco selling season to start today.
According to Chief Executive Officer for the Commission, Kaisi Sadala, Lilongwe Tobacco Selling Floor is the first to open today and about nine buyers are all geared to buy the leaf.
“We have nine buyers who are already on the market to buy our tobacco. Last Friday, we signed an agreement with the buyers in terms of prices as set by the government,” Sadala said.
Spokesperson for AHL Group, Theresa Ndanga, says as a company, they are set as the 2020 tobacco market season opens today.
Ndanga said: “We are ready for the market as it opens today. At least we have 17 thousand bells of tobacco. I should also indicate that because of the Covid 19 crisis across the world, we have put in place some preventive measures to avoid spread of the disease.”
Malawi Polytechnic based economic commentator, Dr Betchani Tcheleni, has predicted that proceeds of this tobacco season will have to propel other industries of the economy because of the Covid 19 pandemic.
“The tobacco industry proceeds should stir other industries to propel our economy. If we just bank on tobacco for our economy, it will be hard for us since we will only have that one industry to stir the economy which is not feasible,’ said Dr Tcheleni.
In 2020 tobacco season, Malawi expects about 154 million kilograms of tobacco which are far less than 161 million kilograms the world tobacco market anticipates.
