Tobacco Market Set to be Opened

Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) has said all is set for this years’ tobacco selling season to commence in all tobacco markets.

TCC Chief Executive Officer, Kaisi Sadala, said they expect the markets to be opened any day within the next two weeks and has urged farmers to start supplying their tobacco to the markets.

“We are ready for the selling season and the markets are ready too. We submitted to the government the dates we want the markets to open and we are just waiting for their approval to commence the sales but we already advised farmers to start tobacco deliveries for the marketing season,” Sadala said.

He further said that they have already started receiving tobacco from Lilongwe and Limbe Auctions Floors and they are expected to start receiving tobacco deliveries from Chinkhoma and Mzuzu starting from April 15.

“We have started receiving tobacco on Monday this week at the Lilongwe Auction Floors and Limbe Auction Floors. We will start receiving tobacco deliveries at Chinkhoma and Mzuzu floors from April 15,” Sadala said.

However, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has not given the date for opening the market but has promised to give it soon.

“I don’t have the date currently but it is normally proposed by a committed that is mobilized by the TCC itself but one thing for sure it will be very soon. We only verify if the president is available on the proposed date if he is not we find another day around the proposed date,” Mwananveka said.

Last year, the country sold 202 million kilograms of tobacco, gathering $330 million.