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Category: Agriculture & Sustainability

  • War Devastates Lebanon’s Historic Tobacco Heartland

    War Devastates Lebanon’s Historic Tobacco Heartland

    Tobacco farming, a cornerstone of southern Lebanese life for over a century, is facing its most severe crisis following last year’s Israeli attacks. Production has plunged 64%, from 5 million kg to 1.8 million kg, leaving thousands of farmers unable to access lands now under Israeli control or contaminated by unexploded ordnance, according to Engineer Abdul Mawla al-Mawla, director of Lebanon’s Tobacco Administration, the Régie.

    In Aytaroun, the south’s largest tobacco hub, only 840 of 1,700 families returned to cultivate. “How can I plant while [Israeli] planes fly over my head daily?” Fatima Awada, whose family lost access to 2.5 acres under Israeli control, asked. Others have rented land elsewhere, but rising costs, damaged equipment, and toxic contamination have drastically reduced profits. The Régie increased the state-guaranteed purchase price for 2025 to between $8.50 and $10 per kilogram to help farmers cope, and also provided in-kind support such as pesticides, gloves, and school grants.

    Hassan Faqih, president of the Tobacco Unions Federation, called for greater government support and inclusion of farmers in Lebanon’s National Social Security Fund, noting that agriculture is “the first guarantee for people to remain on their land away from displacement.”

  • Philippines Government Sets New Floor Price

    Philippines Government Sets New Floor Price

    The Philippines government will set a new tobacco floor price, effective next season, according to PhilStar.

    The National Tobacco Administration’s (NTA) 2025 Tripartite Consultative Conference began this week, where the regulatory body consults with farmers, traders, and cigarette manufacturers to agree on buying rates for the next two tobacco growing seasons.

    According to Belinda Sanchez, NTA administrator and CEO, the process is to ensure safeguarding of tobacco farmer welfare and that there is a well-founded recommendation for a reasonable floor price increase.

    Tobacco is the only cash crop in the Philippines with officially approved floor prices, according to the NTA.

  • Unifreight Africa Expands Fleet Ahead of 2026 Tobacco Season

    Unifreight Africa Expands Fleet Ahead of 2026 Tobacco Season

    Unifreight Africa, a leading transport and logistics company that specializes in agricultural products—especially tobacco—announced it is set to grow its cross-border fleet from Q4 2025 through Q1 2026 to meet anticipated demand during the upcoming tobacco season. The move follows Zimbabwe’s record-breaking 2025 tobacco crop of over 350 million kilograms, which generated $1.2 billion in revenue, according to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

    Unifreight’s operational readiness, including its expanding 4PL division and partnerships with third-party operators, positions it to handle peak tobacco volumes while maintaining service continuity. The company also plans to leverage its capabilities for other sectors such as lithium, maize, and cross-border trade, ensuring diversified growth even if the tobacco season underperforms.

  • Pakistan’s Tobacco Farmers Say Delayed Quotas Spark $23M Loss

    Pakistan’s Tobacco Farmers Say Delayed Quotas Spark $23M Loss

    Tobacco growers in Pakistan claim delayed quota announcements and reduced allocations have triggered overproduction, a price crash, and losses exceeding Rs6.56 billion ($23 million). According to the Dawn, the government normally sets quotas by October, but this year’s lower quota was delayed until December, forcing farmers to sell surplus tobacco at the minimum indicative price (MIP) of Rs548 ($1.92) per kg—far below the market average of Rs720 ($2.52). Growers accuse multinational and local companies of exploiting the situation by purchasing surplus cheaply.

    According to the Dawn, industry figures warn that farmers are being squeezed between rising production costs and falling incomes, with many unable to recover expenses. According to the Tobacco Growers Association, companies have failed to meet quota commitments, while export figures tell a different story—Virginia tobacco exports jumped 129% to 48 million kilograms in 2024-25, even as domestic quotas were cut, the newspaper said. Farmers claim losses of up to Rs3 million ($10,500) per hectare under current pricing.

    The downturn threatens broader economic impacts, including reduced government revenue, falling exports, and job losses in tobacco-producing regions. Growers also point to climate-related crop damage this year, for which they have received no compensation. The National Assembly’s standing committee on tobacco is set to meet in Islamabad on September 23 to discuss possible relief measures, though farmers remain skeptical about immediate action.

  • Cuba Boosts Logistical Support for Tobacco Growers

    Cuba Boosts Logistical Support for Tobacco Growers

    Cuba’s state-owned tobacco group, Tabacuba, intensified its support for local growers ahead of the 2025 harvest, deploying new logistics and equipment to improve efficiency and reduce reliance on intermediaries. The group added five new Howo fuel trucks to the six existing vehicles, along with 12 tractors and trailers, aimed at ensuring direct delivery of diesel and materials to farms and facilitating transport from the port of Mariel. Marino Murillo, president of Tabacuba, said these measures are expected to benefit around 7,000 growers, while the first Freely Convertible Currency supply store for tobacco producers was also inaugurated, offering a range of agricultural and hardware products.

    Additional programs include technical support for the cultivation of covered tobacco in Sancti Spíritus, targeting high-quality export crops for about 20 producers. The initiative provides growers with guidance across all stages of production, from seed planting to curing. Previous investments this year included six Mercedes-Benz vehicles for growers, highlighting Tabacuba’s strategy of combining logistical support with incentives to stabilize and encourage tobacco output amid concerns over declining production and its impact on export revenues.

  • ITGA Meeting Focuses on Sustainability, Eyes COP11

    ITGA Meeting Focuses on Sustainability, Eyes COP11

    The International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week, with discussions covering market trends, regulation, and sustainability. Growers expressed concern over oversupply pressures and shrinking profitability, while new analysis from Euromonitor International suggested global leaf tobacco demand will remain stable in the medium term. ITGA stressed that advocacy must start with farmers’ lived experiences, which provide credibility and balance in regulatory debates.

    Looking ahead to COP11, ITGA warned of insufficient agricultural expertise in global policymaking and vowed to press for more inclusive dialogue. The AGM also reaffirmed its commitment to securing a living income for farmers, with ITGA President José Aranda cautioning that ignoring this issue could threaten entire markets.

  • Zambian Chief Summons Officials for Concerns Over Tobacco Farmers

    Zambian Chief Summons Officials for Concerns Over Tobacco Farmers

    Paramount Chief Mpezeni called the Tobacco Board of Zambia and the Eastern Provincial Administration to his palace on September 19, seeking explanations for issues affecting local tobacco farmers. According to the Zambian Observer, many farmers who sold tobacco under contracts with companies such as Haven Tobacco Company and Tobacco Trading Company have either not been paid or had their tobacco uncollected.

    Mpezeni expressed deep concern over the plight of farmers, some of whom are reportedly sleeping in the cold or even in toilets while trying to sell their tobacco in Chipata City. He has urged government representatives and farmers to hold a meeting at Ephendeni Palace to resolve these payment and procurement issues.

  • Tanzanian President Pledges to Strengthen Tobacco Sector in Re-Election Campaign

    Tanzanian President Pledges to Strengthen Tobacco Sector in Re-Election Campaign

    Campaigning in Tabora Region on September 11, Tanzanian President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan vowed to strengthen the country’s tobacco sector if reelected, promising expanded subsidies, improved access to farm inputs, and reliable international markets. She cited recent gains, with Urambo District’s tobacco output doubling from 11,208 tons in 2022 to 20,492 tons in 2025, generating $50 million in earnings in the 2024/25 financial year. Samia highlighted government efforts to attract buyers, raise farmer incomes, and secure long-term growth in what she called the region’s main cash crop.

    Addressing concerns from growers, she pledged to resolve delayed payments by some purchasing companies and reiterated that subsidies on fertilizers and inputs will continue under her administration. While pushing for even greater output, she also urged farmers to adopt modern, sustainable curing methods, warning against tree cutting for tobacco drying. Samia framed tobacco as both a national economic driver and a livelihood lifeline for rural communities, positioning her re-election bid as key to unlocking “even more profitable markets” for Tanzanian farmers.

  • Zimbabwe Hits Record Tobacco Output, Faces Climate Risks

    Zimbabwe Hits Record Tobacco Output, Faces Climate Risks

    Zimbabwe closed its 2025 tobacco marketing season with a record 352.7 million kilograms sold, generating $1.2 billion in revenue—a 53% increase from last year, underscoring the crop’s role as the country’s top foreign currency earner.

    Analysts warn, however, that the gains remain fragile. Industry stakeholders are urging investment in dams, irrigation, and climate-smart practices to sustain growth. Without intervention, they say, Zimbabwe’s record output may prove unsustainable in the face of mounting environmental pressures.

    The sector, dominated by smallholder farmers without irrigation infrastructure, is increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks such as last year’s El Niño-induced drought. Tobacco curing also contributes to deforestation, compounding water scarcity challenges.

  • Pakistan Tobacco Board Criticized over Multinational Quota

    Pakistan Tobacco Board Criticized over Multinational Quota

    Leaders of the Ittehad Kashthkaran Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (IKKP) said a multinational tobacco company was instructed by the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) to purchase 1.5 million kg of flue-cured Virginia (FCV) from Swabi growers, guaranteeing a minimum price of Rs743 ($2.60) per kg, according to an article published today by the local e-paper Dawn.

     “An official of a multinational national company said on condition of anonymity that the quota which was given to Philips Morris International (PMI) Pakistan was actually agreed with the Swabi growers under the agreements executed with them as it was purchased by the PMI in Shergar, Mardan district, but the PTB officials bound them to buy the 1.5 million kg tobacco in Swabi,” the article credited to an unnamed correspondent said.

    In the article, IKKP leaders criticized government inaction and PTB policies, urging that remaining tobacco be purchased promptly to prevent financial losses for farmers, who rely heavily on this crop for their yearly income. They said with a large quantity remaining unpurchased, the PTB should also oblige other companies to buy the crop from the farmers on time and give up the policy of declaring the remaining tobacco surplus to be purchased from the farmers at low price.

    “The PTB has not played its due role,” Daud Jan Khan, central vice-chairman of the IKKP, was quoted. “The companies have also left no stone unturned to cause as much financial damage to tobacco growers as they could.”