BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—State President Peter Arthur Mutharika on Tuesday officially opened the 2017 tobacco selling in the capital Lilongwe with an appeal to buyers that they should offer good price.
Mutharika made the call at Kanengo Auction Floors, where he was flanked by cabinet ministers and other senior government officials.
“As I officially open this year’s tobacco market season, let me ask the buyers to offer better prices to our farmers. For this industry to be sustained farmers are supposed to be profiting. The farm inputs prices are high so low prices discourage farmers from continuing cultivating the cash crop,” said Mutharika.
He also asked farmers to bring uncompromised quality leaf at the market to fetch good prices.
Last year, Mutharika lashed out to buyers saying they are the ones ripping the country off its profits, and warned his government will not tolerate.
“Our earning has gone down by 8% just because they are paying us less. They are robbing us. What I am saying is that they always say that they will pay fair minimum prices but after the opening day they go back to their old ways. I have met them over 20 times both here, in New York and in Washington.
“The buyers assured me on camera that the prices will be fair in the beginning but they started declassifying the tobacco so they can pay less,” said President Mutharika.
Tobacco in Malawi is regarded as green gold as it contribute over 70 percent of forex in Malawi