By Pemphero Malimba:
Tama Farmers Trust—a tobacco growers’ representative body—has warned that failure to curb tobacco smuggling may affect the country’s earnings from the crop this year.
Tama Farmers Trust President Abel Kalima Banda said in an interview that the malpractice reported in some border districts of the country need to be tamed urgently.
“It is a responsibility of the Tobacco Commission, as a regulator, to see that there is security in border districts. It is also a collective responsibility for farmers to take action,” Banda said.
Tobacco Commission spokesperson Telephorus Chigwenembe said the regulator is working tirelessly to safeguard the leaf.
- Advertisement -
In the past few week the police in Mchinji and Kasungu districts arrested some people, including Zambians, for allegedly attempting to smuggle tobacco outside the country.
In Mchinji, 48 bales of tobacco were confiscated while 6,155 Kilogrammes of the commodity were intercepted in Kasungu District.
In a statement, national police spokesperson Peter Kalaya warned against engaging in the malpractice.
“The Police Service warns that it will not hesitate to arrest and bring to book any trader or farmer found attempting to smuggle tobacco or any other crop out of Malawi
