Malawi
Officials from auction floors say tobacco prices have now picked up after weeks of stormy sales following low prices and high rejection rates.
Albert Changaya of Tobacco Control Commission attributed the better tobacco prices to good leaf that has started arriving at auction floors.
“Farmers have stopped bringing stems, they are now bringing quality top leaf that is attracting good prices so all is well now,” said Changaya. He said however that burley is facing problems due to overproduction.
“Our team will be going out soon for the last assessment of how much was grown and how much has been sold so that we find out how much is remaining. We do three assessments and this is the last one,” said Changaya.
He said flue-cured tobacco is doing well on the market.
This year there are 9 tobacco buyers on the market down from 11 last year after Nyasa Manufacturers, sponsors of Nyasa Bullets, pulled out of the market to concentrate on joint cigarette manufacturing with an Egyptian company.