By Wezzie Gausi:
Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) has realised over $9 million from the sale of 5.4 million kilogrammes (kg) of tobacco which was previously at the centre of a court dispute with Eastbridge Estate.
An Auction Holdings Limited season-to-date report dated September 22, 2026 shows that 5,404,645kg of the tobacco have been sold, generating $9,043,666.25 at an average price of $1.67 per kg.
A total of 59,074 bales have been sold.
SFFRFM Chief Executive Officer Godfrey Itaye said the sale of the tobacco was still underway and that the institution expected to realise more money as the remaining stock is sold.
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“The sale is ongoing and we expect more to be realised from the tobacco,” Itaye said.
He said SFFRFM was satisfied with the progress of the sale, adding that the tobacco had been properly kept before being released onto the market.
“We were certain that our tobacco was in good state and had been well kept. The Tobacco Commission has been involved in assessing its quality,” he said.
The latest figures show that 2,232,882kg have been sold through Lilongwe, fetching $3,958,098.75 at an average price of $1.77 per kg.
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Another 3,171,763kg sold through Mzuzu generated $5,085,567.50 at an average price of $1.60 per kg.
The sales follow a High Court Commercial Division ruling which declared SFFRFM the lawful owner of more than 10 million kg of tobacco that had been the subject of a dispute with Eastbridge Estate.
Judge Trouble Kalua ruled that the tobacco remained the property of SFFRFM after finding that Eastbridge had not supplied fertiliser which formed part of the arrangement between the parties.
