LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Kondwani Nankhumwa on Thursday challenged developed nation lobbying to ban tobacco crop on health grounds arguing that the same crop held them to grow their economies.
Nankhumwa told the international Tobacco Coalition (T5) Workshop under the way in the capital Lilongwe that the noise developed nations are making on anti-smoking campaign is one way of punishing African countries to economically grow.
The Malawi minister observed that once the ban is effected many African countries that depend on tobacco will their economies shrink.
He therefore lauded T5 countries for consultative meetings is undertaking that as the regional (T5) should have a position before the next conference of the Parties in 2020 in the Netherlands.
“The tobacco crop crossed the oceans more than 500 years ago when Columbus landed in the Caribbean in his quest for India and it led to its spread widely around the world. Tobacco became one of the most important crops in the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, China, Southern Europe, Turkey and others for centuries.These countries had grown tobacco in large volumes, traded it and raised huge amounts of taxes on tobacco thereby contributing to their development.
“Most importers of tobacco in Europe and elsewhere have also prospered on tobacco trade. This crop has therefore been a pillar of the economy in so many countries for many centuries. These countries today are very vocal and have stood united against the tobacco crop when their countries no longer needs it and while it has become important for us in Africa and Malawi in particular,” challenges Nankhumwa.
‘T5’ is a grouping of tobacco industry stakeholders from Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Delegates from these countries are attending the workshop in Malawi to discuss some of the challenges facing the leaf tobacco sector and to collectively find a way “to address them in the most satisfactory way”.
Therefore shared information at the end of the two day conference is vital to take the right decisions,” in the wake of the international anti-smoking lobby.
