Tobacco Commission cracks down on contamination of tobacco packaging at auction floors

* A staggering 5,080 bales containing contaminated tobacco were confiscated during the 2024 selling season

* Nesting is a serious problem that compromises the integrity of our tobacco industry and hurts our economy

By Patience Kapinda, MANA

The Tobacco Commission of Malawi has launched a crackdown on the illicit practice of ‘nesting’ where unscrupulous tobacco sellers conceal inferior products or objects within bundles to deceive buyers.

According to Tobacco Commission public relations officer, Telephorus Chigwenembe, a staggering 5,080 bales containing contaminated tobacco were confiscated during the 2024 selling season.

“Nesting is a serious problem that compromises the integrity of our tobacco industry and hurts our economy,” Chigwenembe said. “We will not tolerate it and are taking decisive action to eradicate it.”

He thus said the Commission has implemented stringent measures to combat the malpractice, including confiscating bales containing nested tobacco, re-handling tobacco at the grower’s expense, and collaborating with law enforcement agencies to apprehend middlemen and vendors involved.

Christopher Saka, a re-handling expert, said: “Our checkers inspect each bale for unwanted materials like plastic, papers, stones, sand, and suckers. We use qualified measures, including grading, to sort out nested bales separately and accordingly.”

Saka noted a significant increase in nesting cases this marketing season: “So far, this year’s tendency has increased a lot.”

Despite the challenges posed by nesting, the 2024 tobacco selling season yielded positive results, with 133 million kilograms of tobacco sold, valued at US$396 million, and an average price of US$2.98 per kg

The Tobacco Commission’s crackdown on nesting sends a strong message to perpetrators and reinforces the government’s commitment to promoting a fair and transparent tobacco industry.

The 2024 tobacco selling season, which officially closed on August 2, has been lauded by stakeholders, including farmers themselves, as the best compared to previous seasons.

At the peak of the season, the leaf sold at as high as US$3.59/kg, and the season closed with a reasonable price of up to US$2.98/kg, according to Tobacco Commission.

But it was dogged by the high levels of nesting and the 5,080 bales were intercepted at four Auction Floors of Limbe, Lilongwe, Chinkhoma and Mzuzu — trash accounting to up to 60%-70% in some bales, while in worst scenarios, up to 99%.