Malawi tobacco growers abandoned by buyers

The closure of tobacco auctions in Malawi has left tobacco growers with a ‘huge quantity’ of unsold leaf, according to a Malawi24 story.

The auctions which are said to be the sole means of selling tobacco in Malawi, have been closed, apparently because of a lack of buyers.

The CEO of Malawi’s Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) Bruce Munthali has reportedly assured growers that his organization is doing everything it can to get the auction floors operating again.

And Malawi24 reported that the TCC was trying also to identify potential buyers, presumably meaning buyers that would operate outside of the auction floors.

Munthali has apparently urged tobacco growers to take demand into consideration before producing their crops.

“Growing without a market is not good; these are some of the challenges that come with it,” Munthali was quoted as saying.

This advice is a little late for the tobacco now in growers’ hands.

And it doesn’t explain how growers can estimate demand given tobacco-manufacturers’ reluctance in respect of some markets to give indications, before planting starts, about how much tobacco they require.