Tobacco farmers angry over penalty for excess leaf sales

Tobacco farmers are up in arms against the decision by tobacco regulators to effect penalty for excess tobacco grown outside its quota.

The Tobacco Commission has told the farmers of the penalties when the tobacco market is about to close at the end of the season in few weeks’ time.

But Tobacco Commission official Hellings Nasolo said the penalties have not just been introduced by the commission but rather are provisions in the new tobacco Act.

“The commission has been giving updates on this issue time and again, this is not new at all. We have been updating the farmers on the changes in the new Act,” said Nasolo.

It is estimated that there is 40 million tonnes of excess tobacco which could rake in K40 billion but the new Act says the farmers should only get 10 per cent of the money which translates to K4 billion only.