Nankhumwa visits tobacco auction floors as growers rush for quota allocation

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Kondwani Nankhumwa on Tuesday visited Kanengo Auction Floors in Lilongwe to appreciate the progress on tobacco sales as the marketing season nears the end.

Nankhumwa said that he wanted to appreciate how the market is responding after the tobacco production quota ban was uplifted on September 6 2019.

Later,  the Minister held a meeting with Tobacco Commission management and also toured the tobacco registration centre at the Tobacco Commission regional offices to meet farmers who are showing interest to grow and sell tobacco in the 2019/2020 season.

Minister Nankhumwa  uplifted the quota ban on September 6 2019 and so far about 2.6 million kilograms of tobacco has been registered under the uplift and buyers have already expressed interest to buy the excess tobacco.

The Tobacco Commission says since  ban , growers are thronging TC offices at Kanengo in Lilongwe for the 2019/20 tobacco quota allocation.

The commission is still calling upon farmers with excess production to go and apply for a quota uplift and the commission will verify all applications accordingly.

TC chief executive officer Kayisi Sadala said it is clear that there is a lot of enthusiasm to grow tobacco in the 2019/20 growing season since the uplifting of the quota ban by Minister Nankhumwa.

“We believe people have now been made aware of the new Tobacco Industry Act, which prohibits the use of other people’s licences,” he said.

Section 38, sub-section 5 of the Act outlaws the use of other people’s licences to sell tobacco at the tobacco floors.

Sadala said TC will also implement know-your-customer for all tobacco growers while also undertaking global positioning system so that every tobacco grower on TC database is fully known.

“In compliance with the law, the commission will ensure that all research, extension services and use of chemicals and pesticides are duly complied,” he said.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!