Agriculture
TOBACCO MARKETS TO OPEN DESPITE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
April 16, 2020 / Bester Kayaye
The Tobacco Commission (TC) says 2019/2020 marketing season of the country’s green gold, tobacco, will still open on Monday, April 20, despite the pending lockdown due to the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
State President Arthur Peter Mutharika and the Minister of Health and Population Services Jappie Mhango announced on Tuesday night that the country is to effect a 21 days’ national lockdown from next Saturday in a quest to curb further spread of the pandemic.
However, speaking to Mining and Trade Review, TC’s Corporate Planning and Development Manager Hellings Nasoni said the 2019/2020 tobacco market season will still open but “will operate in line with a special directive issued by the Health Authorities.”
Nasoni said: “The Commission and other Industry players have stepped up measures to ensure balanced operations during the process, among others; farmers themselves will be restricted from witnessing marketing proceedings at selling floors and everyone carrying out various operations during the process is required to put on protective gears as prescribed by health officials.”
“Throughout, the process we will continue to complement government efforts to prevent further spread of the virus by abiding by health and safety measures as directed by relevant Authorities.”
To ensure transparency during the process, Nasoni said “the commission will closely work with Tobacco Growers Association who will be representing farmers at selling floors, while sole farmers will be represented by Auction Holdings Limited (AHL) officers who will be available at the floors.”
AHL has also introduced a special number that farmers can dial to check status of their tobacco at the market floors among others; the price at which it has been sold and the name of the buyer.
The first market to be opened will be Lilongwe Auction Floors followed by Chinkhoma on April 21st then Limbe on April 27th and finally Mzuzu on May 4.
Tobacco remains the biggest cash crop in Malawi. During last season a total of 165 million kilograms of tobacco was sold realising US$237 million in revenue. About 155 million kilograms of tobacco is expected to be sold on the market this year.
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