JTI discusses tobacco future with Malawi economists
One of the world’s largest cigarrete manufacturers JTI says embracing and harnessing Malawi’s newly adopted Integrated Production System (IPS) of growing tobacco holds key to the future of the industry, which anchors the country’s economy.
Speaking in Mangochi where JTI is participating at this year’s Annual General Meeting of the Economists Association of Malawi (ECAMA), Corporate Affairs & Communication Director Limbani Kakhome said amidst many challenges facing tobacco globally, IPS offers solutions to the local industry by creating sustainable actions.
“By its nature and in responding to the challenges of the local industry, IPS provides certainty for us in Malawi as it helps us control, among other factors the crop size and its quality,” he said.
Kakhome said at a time when global demand for the leaf was looking troubled, the solution lies in Malawi graduating into a leaf source that produces in response to the global market requirement.
“IPS provides such responsive mechanisms and in the long-term should help safeguard our position globally as an economy that depends on the leaf,” he said.
Kakhome said through JTI’s Facilitated Farming Scheme (FFS), under which the company contracts smallholder growers across the country, JTI has gathered enough evidence that shows that IPS is bearing the intended fruits.
He said most of JTI’s contract growers have shaken off the rugs of poverty and are living sustainably.
“They are growing food crops, earning a decent return on their tobacco and are also the ones taking the lead in managing the environment through following good agriculture practices and planting trees,” he said.
He noted, however, that two years after Malawi Government adopted IPS, the policy is not anchored in as there have been delays by Parliamanent to pass an ammended Tobacco Act into law. The act provides a legal framework for effective implementation of IPS, he said. “Our expectation was that by now IPS would have been embedded in a good law to support and guide its long-term implementation,” he said/
The Ecama AGM is being held under the theme; “Achieving Inclusive Sustainable Economic Growth: From Rhetoric to Practice.” The Minister of Trade & Industry Josephy Mwanamvekha is expected to officially open the AGM.
Deducing from your speech its quite obvious that your not well versed with the issues affecting the tobacco industry in Malawi. Considering your arguments for IPS, they do not hold exclusively for IPS as controlling supply can easily be regulated through production quotas which have already been implemented by TCC. On the issue of quality, farmer training through effective and efficient extension work is just as viable on the auction system as it is on IPS. I actually agree with Chipapwiche…. IPS is just another form of day light theft by these companies …..
WHEN IS REFERENDUM FOR NORTHERN INDEPENDENCE COMING PLEASE ??
This tobacco industry is leaving a lot to desire. Always cries for better prices. Government is speechless. TAMA etc useless
Kungofuna kubera alimi basi, IPS ndiyolemeretsa ma company afodya pamene mlimi akusaukirabe. Imangomupangitsa mulimi kukhala tenant pamunda pake, let auction system continue otherwise tsoka mlimi wafodya!
Me I would suggest 30 June 2015 as the referendum day for Northern Independence.
Dyafo!