Malawi Tobacco Earnings up Despite Drought

Malawi earned 40 percent more from tobacco sales in the 2024 marketing season than it did the previous year, despite an El Nino-induced drought, reports Reuters, citing the Tobacco Commission.

The Tobacco Commission said that leaf sales increased to $396.28 million, up from $283.76 million the previous season. Over the same period, volumes increased to 133.1 million kg from 120.5 million kg.

“This represents a substantial surge,” the Tobacco Commission wrote in its final season report. “The increase in sales volume, revenue and the average price per kilogram indicates a strong and positive performance compared to the previous year.”

Despite the drought, which hit most of Malawi’s agricultural output, especially the staple food maize, the tobacco crop proved resilient, helping the country to profit from a surge in global demand.

“Global demand is high due to consecutive calamitous weather impacts in major producing countries,” said Limbani Kakhome, a spokesperson for Japan Tobacco Leaf, one of the commodity’s top buying companies in Malawi.