Earnings from the country’s major export crop, tobacco, reached $81.2 million at the end of week four of this year’s selling season, figures released by market operator, AHL Tobacco Sales Limited, show.
The earnings represent an increase of 89.3 percent, compared to $42.9 million realised during the same period last year.
According to the figures, the country has so far sold 30.1 million kilogrammes (kg) of all types of tobacco at an average price of $2.70 per kg
The volume sold is 47.5 percent higher than the 20.4 million kg of all tobacco types sold during the same period last year.
The average price has gone up by 28 percent compared to an average price of $2.11 per kg in four weeks last year.
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In an interview, Tobacco Association of Malawi Trust Chief Executive Officer Nixon Lita said that so far, there is good progress on the market.
“Prices are encouraging, rejections are almost non-existent, unless for badly presented tobacco and no queues at deliveries.
“Farmers are really excited and we hope as the week progresses issues of remittances will finally be resolved to the satisfaction of farmers,” Lita said.
In a separate interview, Tobacco Commission spokesperson Telephorus Chigwenembe said as the market progresses, there are a few issues of smuggling and nesting that the commission is fighting.
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“There have been cases of smuggling reported by some community members. So far, there have been some two or three cases whereby vehicles have been impounded for suspected attempts to smuggle the crop.
“In one case, it’s the police that intercepted the vehicle, in another; it was the Malawi Revenue Authority. Cases of nesting and non-tobacco related materials have been minimal since the start,” Chigwenembe said.
In the past few weeks 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 kg 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.
