Malawi Farmers Pull Leaf, Citing Below-Cost Prices

Farmers from Dowa and Lilongwe have pulled their tobacco from the auction floor due to low selling prices.

The average selling price of the tobacco has been $1.10, which farmers say is not enough to cover production costs. The farmers have reached out to officials from Limbe Leaf Tobacco and the Tobacco Commission.

“These buyers are leaving us in slavery,” said Bazale Mobayana, one of the farmers. “They are leaving us with huge debt to settle because with these low prices, we cannot be able to repay back the loans we took from commercial banks and other financial lending institutions.”