Tobacco to remain key crop in Malawi

Despite the anti-tobacco efforts of the World Health Organization, the Malawi government says tobacco will remain the country’s key strategic crop for years to come, according to a MaraviPost.com story.

The story quoted Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Mwanza, speaking at the opening of the 25th Annual Congress of the Tobacco Association of Malawi in Lilongwe.

Mwanza assured farmers that the government intended to support and sustain the industry for the betterment of the country’s economy.

Malawi was at one point the 12th biggest producer of leaf tobacco and the seventh biggest exporter of tobacco.

Mwanza spoke also, however, of some of the challenges faced by the industry, which included flaws in grower registration and the existence of unscrupulous associations that exploited farmers.