Tobacco high rejection rate, low prices: Chaponda warns against sabotage
Tobacco farmers in the south were on Monday left frustrated and in despair as tobacco buyers rejected 80 per cent of the gold leaf and most of the tobacco was sold at 80 cents.
This was the first day of the tobacco sales at Limbe Auction Floors in Limbe and agriculture minister George Chaponda who had come to open the floors was left frustrated too though he wore a brave face.
“Tobacco buyers need to be fair with farmers instead of rejecting their tobacco anyhow,” Chaponda said.
He said it was surprising that most of the rejected tobacco was of high quality.
The highest price fetched US$1.40.
Chaponda said tobacco remains the main stay of the economy therefore he warned vendors against sabotaging the season, saying they would be prosecuted.
He said Malawi should in future consider turning to legumes saying they have a huge market in Asia. Reports say low tobacco prices also characterised Kanengo and Chinkhoma auction floors.
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Tobacco buyers are heartless people they dont have mercy on poor farmers they are exploiting malawians
clueless government !
Buyers are not being fair, please Government help
Eh chaponda you have really surprised me, to the extent of a dpp govt minister crying sabotage?
Dpp is the king of sabotage, so who is sabotaging who?
Why are we still growing this leaf?
Tobacco buyers have a syndicate, all buyers Limbe leaf, JTI, africa leaf and other players have meeting and make fix pricing. APM please be like bingu deport these mzungus who want to loot from the poor farmers, revoke licence for tobacco buyers who dont pay good prices, we dont need them
A chaponda munati ndinu Bulldozer kikkkkkkkkkkkkk taonetsani u chamuna kumeko, uone ngati ena ake a Dollar sakusiyilani masambawo mmanja kikkkkkkk kudzikweza ngati ndalama zogulira fodya ndizanu bwanji?
A hen is failing to protect its chicks. Accidental govt.