Zambia: Tobacco Board Takes Over East Sales

Source from:  Times of Zambia 03/30/2011

The Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ) has taken over management of tobacco sales in Eastern Province whose floors opened on Wednesday. The take-over this year follows confusion which rocked the Eastern Fodya Association of Zambia (EFAZ) recently. TBZ chief executive officer, Aven Muvwende confirmed that the board opened the sales floor for tobacco on Wednesday in Chipata. He said the differences were between the EFAZ and the local farmers, which prompted his organisation's intervention. Mr Muvwende said in an interview in Lusaka that the TBZ take-over of the management of the sales floor was an interim measure because trend normally it normally was for provincial associations to participate in tobacco marketing. "I wish to confirm that TBZ will run the floors in the interim that is for the 2011 tobacco marketing season only. This will allow for reorganisation of the entire tobacco marketing system in Eastern Province which has been problematic in the last few years," he said. Management of sales floors is an activity aimed at facilitating local tobacco trade at designated, approved and licensed tobacco marketing premises in line with the Tobacco Act and the Tobacco Levy Act. Last year, burley tobacco was going at more than US $1 per kilogramme while virginia was pegged at US$3 per kilogramme on the average. On this year's projections for tobacco production, Mr Muvwende said the board was expecting a total country volume of 33 million kilogrammes. "Expected tobacco production volumes for 2011 marketing season is 15 000,000 kilogrammes (Fifteen Million kilogrammes and Flue cured virginia about 18 000,000 Kilogrammes (eighteen million kgs). "Total country volumes are 33,000,000 Kilogrammes," he said. The board sets dates for opening of the floors and this year, they were supposed to open on March, 1 East of Luangwa (Burley Tobacco ) and March, 14 West of Luangwa (Virginia Tobacco). Enditem