Malawi: Tobacco Pillar of Economies, Exports, Engine for Associated Business

Source from:  Malawi News Agency 07/22/2015

Government has described tobacco as the pillar of the country's economy, major item in export, most important source of employment and an engine for associated business and developments.

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Dr. Allan Chiyembekeza said this on Monday in Lilongwe during the official opening of Tobacco Coalition Meeting for the Eastern and Southern Africa.

He said the above description of the green gold was agreed during the meeting they had in Cape Town, South Africa in May, 2015, by some governments' representatives from Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and Malawi.

"Tobacco is a strategic crop that generates 60 percent of Malawi's foreign earnings, employs a sizeable population of our citizens and it has a prominent role in the national economic development and poverty alleviation programs, not to talk about its importance in areas of food security," said Chiyembekeza.

The Minister said for the given reasons, Malawi Government was ready to do everything possible to give the due support to the entire tobacco industry for its sustenance whilst protecting the vulnerable farmers.

He said the leaf production sector faces many challenges some of which were inherent and others external.

"Some of the intrinsic ones are linked to the conditions in which tobacco is sometimes grown. Our governments together with the tobacco sector are well aware of these intrinsic challenges and have taken important measures to minimize negative impacts," he explained.

Chiyembekeza further said governments had allowed the tobacco sector to facilitate or give farm input loans for the production of tobacco, food security crop such as maize and some complimentary crops."

Dr Chiyembekeza added the other initiatives included the intensive training on good agriculture practices to avoid soil erosion, to improve utilization of nutrients from both inorganic and organic fertilizers and to reduce the use of plant protection products.

The minister also said the tobacco sector was also creating awareness about environmental protection which he observed had led to millions of trees being planted and monitored for survival and agricultural labour practices. Enditem