Malawi’s growers promised good prices at auction

Malawi’s Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) has published auction-floor minimum and maximum buying prices for leaf tobacco.

According to a StarAfrica story, the minimum Burley price has been set at US$0.85 (MK379) per kg, while the maximum has been set at US$4.50 (MK2,007) per kg.

The minimum flue-cured tobacco price has been set at US$0.25 (MK129) per kg and the maximum at US$4.00 (MK1,784) per kg, while the minimum dark fire-cured price has been set at US$1.00 (MK446) and the maximum at US$3.40 (MK1,516) per kg.

TCC CEO, Bruce Munthali, said on Tuesday that tobacco production was estimated to have dropped this season by 10 million kg, or five percent, to 181 million kg from last year’s 191 million kg.

The fall in output was blamed mainly on unhelpful weather conditions.

“Despite natural calamities like heavy rains, floods and dry spells which affected the output of tobacco in the country, the quality of the leaf is still good,” Munthali said.

He said that tobacco growers could expect good prices for their tobacco because of strong competition among buyers.

The tobacco market is set to open on April 8.