* SFFRFM has already commenced the process and is active on the tobacco auction floors
* The Government recognises and highly values the immense contribution of the tobacco industry to the livelihoods of Malawian households and to the national economy
By Duncan Mlanjira
The Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has put in place arrangements to purchase farmers’ remaining tobacco that was produced in the 2024-2025 growing season following the slow down of sales at the tobacco auction floors after traditional buyers stopped buying the produce because they exhausted their trade requirements.
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A statement from Secretary for Agriculture, Dickxie Kampani said in order to safeguard the tobacco industry, government has resolved to purchase the remaining stock through the Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund (SFFRFM), which has already commenced the process and is active on the auction floors.
“The Government recognises and highly values the immense contribution of the tobacco industry to the livelihoods of Malawian households and to the national economy,” Kampani says in the statement.
“It is in this regard that, the Government will continue to support all the tobacco growers whilst also providing a conducive environment to the tobacco buyers and the rest of the stakeholders in the industry.”
Kampani further says the government assures all tobacco grower that it remains committed to providing a reliable and sustainable market for the crop since the crop continues to be Malawi’s leading export commodity.
“The Government reassures the entire tobacco growing community of it full support and affirms that it will provide all necessary resources to the SFFRFM to complete this purchasing initiative successfully,” says Kampani.
On its communication channel, the Tobacco Commission takes cognizance that some farmers have not yet sold their tobacco — thus sales at Lilongwe, Chinkhoma and Mzuzu auction floors will continue as planned for Friday, September 12.
It also indicated that by Thursday, September 11, over 209.8 million kilogrammes of tobacco valued at US$525.4 million had been sold at an average price of US$2.50 per kilogramme — which is Malawi’s highest volume in 13 years.
When Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale opened the 21st National Agriculture Fair in Blantyre on August 28, he indicated that the government’s aspiration to increase tobacco production while challenging farmers to revisit their view of farming.
The Fair was commemorated under the theme; ‘Towards Commercialisation and Economic Transformation through Smart and Sustainable Agricultural Systems‘ and Kawale said the theme “is not a suggestion — it is our national mandate”.
“It is a direct challenge to each of us to rethink the way we approach farming. For too long, we have been content with subsistence – that has to stop. This is our moment to shatter the old limitations and reposition agriculture as the powerful, business-driven, and technology-enabled engine of our economy, as envisioned in MW2063.”
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