Auction tobacco prices have picked up in Malawi after weeks of acrimonious sales made in the face of low prices and high rejection rates, according to a story in The Nyasa Times quoting officials from the auction floors.
The story, however, was notable for the fact that it gave no hint of the prices being paid this year or in previous years.
But Albert Changaya of the Tobacco Control Commission was said to have attributed the ‘better tobacco prices’ to the good quality leaf that had started to be offered at the auction floors.
“Farmers have stopped bringing stems; they are now bringing top quality leaf that is attracting good prices; so all is well now,” said Changaya.
But even Changaya admitted that it was only flue-cured tobacco that was doing well on the market.
He said Burley was ‘facing problems due to over production’. “Our team will be going out soon for the last assessment of how much was grown and how much has been sold so that we find out how much is remaining. We do three assessments and this is the last one,” said Changaya.
This year, there are nine tobacco buyers on the market, down from 11 last year.