Commission Says Malawi Farmers Need to Grow More Flue Cured Tobacco

Source from:  MaraviPost.com (mw)  05/10/2013

The Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) has bemoaned the low production of flue cured tobacco and urged farmers in the country to improve in the next growing season.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bruce Munthali, said barley has always been the leading leaf as compared to flue cured tobacco, saying it is time farmers grew more flue cured tobacco which is demanded globally.

"Flue cured tobacco has the capacity to make the small-holder farmers and commercial farmers in the country to realize more profits as it has high demand and readily available market," said Munthali.

He said in the past farmers produced anywhere between 40 and 50 million kilogrammes while this time around it is only between 10 and 20 million kilogrammes.

He also said TCC would assist growers by giving them certified seeds that have more yields hence realize more profits from their respective sales and he commended government efforts in ensuring that tobacco growers benefit from their tobacco sales, saying buyers are offering better prices this time around. Enditem