Tobacco Prices Spark Protests

Source from:  Daily Times (mw) 04/05/2012

Lilongwe Auction Floors on Monday turned into a battle field as angry farmers threw bales of tobacco at the buyers protesting low prices. The farmers were vexed that the low prices offered are simply the repeat of last season's woes of disappointing earnings on their sweat. The fracas forced Tobacco Control Commission to suspend the sales before President Bingu wa Mutharika officially opened the this year's market. The tobacco sales started with the minimum price of 85 US cents per kilogramme while the maximum price was pegged at US$2.20 which angered farmers. But Mutharika, who used to be fighting the buyers in the past, condemned the approach saying the tobacco auction floor is like any other market which requires negotiations between the buyers and the sellers to agree on the prices. Mutharika urged the buyers to understand concerns of farmers who he said can be encouraged to produce high grade tobacco should they earn enough from their sales. "I don't come here year in, year out, to fight the buyers but I am here to discuss with the buyers to understand the farmers. The better the prices you give to tobacco farmers the better the quality they will produce next year," said Mutharika. In an interview, Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Munthali said there would be a meeting with the buyers later in the afternoon to ensure continuation of the market. He said the season had opened with more than 45 per cent rejection rate, yet the rejection rate is normally supposed to be not more than 14 per cent, questioning the buyer's readiness to buy tobacco at this point in time. "We did not expect the rejection rate to be more than 14 per cent but it seems some of the buyers are yet to have finances to start buying tobacco but we expect an improvement as the market progresses," Munthali said. Some of the farmers interviewed at the Auction Floors expressed bitterness over the disappointing prices at the time expectations were high that prices would be much better owing to low tobacco volumes. But some buyers at the floors said the low prices offered were normal at this point of the market season saying the quality is usually low but picks up as the market progresses to encourage higher prices. According to the TCC this year's tobacco volumes are estimated at 151 million kilograms but Munthali could not project this year's tobacco earnings. Government says it will continue stopping political rallies in the country if the security situation is volatile. But when quizzed why only opposition rallies are blocked, some officials have explained that ruling party rallies are always peaceful as hooligans can hardly hijack them. Dowa District Commissioner James Manyetera said this in an interview yesterday when asked why he blocked opposition political rallies yet the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials are allowed to hold their meetings undisrupted. This follows Manyetera's decision to ask Vice President Joyce Banda reschedule her political rally which was scheduled to take place on Sunday in Mponela. "I did not stop the rally but rather I requested the secretary general of the party to consider rescheduling the meeting to another date after I consulted some authorities. "The situation was tense the whole week in Lilongwe which is just 56 kilometres away from Mponela, so we feared some people could easily travel from Lilongwe to cause havoc," said Manyetera. Manyetera said prevention was important than wait for violence to happen first, saying the vice president appreciated the situation and later called him to confirm of the postponement of the rally. "The situation has improved now, she can hold a rally any time," said Manyetera. Asked why it is only the opposition which is blocked from holding rallies in such situations, Manyetera said it is easier for people to hijack peaceful opposition rallies than those held by the ruling party. "If people have issues to settle with government, they cannot do that at the ruling party political rally. Security issues are the responsibility of everyone, not me or the police alone," said Manyetera. Secretary for Home Affairs and Defence Samuel Madula said permission to hold rallies are given by the office of district commissioners, and the police only enforce decisions by the district commissioners. "The district commissioner has the mandate to allow or not to allow a political rally and the role of the police is to implement the decision of the district commissioner," said Madula. However, political analyst Augustine Magolowondo said public rallies and demonstrations are constitutional rights which he said the executive should not tamper with. "If people are unnecessarily obstructed, like in the case of Atupele \[Muluzi] situation in Lilongwe, this can trigger violence. People feel they are being oppressed and they can respond violently. It's extremely important that the authorities understand their authority and the limits to their authority," said Magolowondo. He advised district commissioners to tread carefully on these issues, saying they should not be seen as being used by the executive or state agents to oppress the opposition. Enditem