Nankhumwa continues to lobby for Malawi tobacco, opens TC conference
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Kondwani Nankhumwa has asked the players in the tobacco industry to work closely together in maintaining the integrity of the Malawian tobacco on the international market.
The minister was speaking on Thursday, November 21, 2019, during the official opening ceremony of the 2019 Tobacco Industry Conference convened by the Tobacco Commission in Lilongwe.
The minister, who is also the Vice President of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for Southern Region, said that government would continue to explore ways of making sure that tobacco remains a sustained crop for economic growth.
Nankhumwa also called upon players in the industry to continue fighting for the rights of the tobacco growers and commended them for various interventions being implemented to make the tobacco sector vibrant.
Speaking during the same function, Chairman of the Tobacco Commission Inkosi M’mbelwa VI commended government for the support it renders to the tobacco industry. He cited the just ended market season, which went on without any disruptions.
The two-day conference is themed “Collectively Embracing Change for Sustainable Growth’. Attending the conference include ministry officials, tobacco growers, tobacco buyers and processors such as JTI, BAT, Alliance One, Nasfam, and transporters.
The tobacco industry plays a major role in the Malawi economy. Tobacco is the main cash crop and the main foreign exchange earner in the economy. Tobacco exports account for more than 60 percent of export earnings.
The main type of tobacco grown in Malawi is burley, accounting for more than 90 percent of total tobacco production. Other types of tobacco grown in Malawi are northern division dark fired, flue-cured, southern division dark fired, sun-air and oriental tobacco.
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