Tobacco farmers cry foul!

May 16, 2016 Business 86
Advertisement
Malawi Tobacco

Tobacco farmers at Limbe Auction Floors say they feel betrayed by government which has been silent on the issue of tobacco rejection rate.

According to some farmers, it is very painful that the government is still silent on their business as buyers are requesting low prices and there is high rejection rate.

Malawi Tobacco
Tobacco market goes dour.

One of the farmers, Justin Godson, said by this time last growing season, they were selling their tobacco at 1 dollar 10 cent compared to 80 cents this year which he said is very worrisome having in mind that they have loans which need to be given back.

Joining Godson was Roderick Dyson from Zomba district who wondered why there is a high rejection rate and low prices even though farmers this year have high quality tobacco.

“Last year these buyers were complaining of quality but see this year there is still low price, so we don’t know what the problem is and how come. I think the government is just failing to tell us to stop growing tobacco.”

“You can see that companies are the ones making much profit than the farmer who work tirelessly and spend more money growing the crop,” said Dyson.

Another farmer added that to their surprise what is happening is contrary to what they were told before.

He said they were told that there will be good prices this year. He as well wondered why the government is so quiet on the matter.

However, southern region Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) chairperson Willard Singo said everything is going well despite minor challenges.

He admitted that he received complaints from farmers but he claimed that low prices and high rejection rates of tobacco are normal. Singo advised the farmers to take care of their tobacco in order to have good prices.

Advertisement

86 Comments

  1. Koma iwe vicky ndiwe galu wachabe chabe atumbuka anakulakwila chani usiye tsankho tose ndife amalawi wamva, ife zafodya sizikutikhuza tidathawako kale ku malawiko timangobwela kuzakuonani, koma usamayankhule zopusa.

  2. Uku mkusamva bwanji osasiya kulima foddyayo? Kakhale komaliza kudandaulaku tisazamvenso .kulima nkowawa nanga monse munayambira kulemeletsa anthu akungomwa tea pa office .Ngati aboma ngati Malime akupaseni ndalama zogwirila ntchito yose ya Amanda mpaka kukolola ndinso ma transport aku nsika wa auction .

  3. Basi poti munafuna kuvotera mbuzi yeniyeni kumo ine sindidzavota vote mpaka kale chifukwa boma silinandithandiko ndimavutika ndekha ndipo sindinga gwire chitukuko chadziko amtha ngakhale bomalitapana ngakhaleso kutakhala mdima sindingalore

  5. Boma lathu lopusa kudyera alimi masiku pamutu mumaganiza bwanji muziganiza ngati munthu ndipo mulungu sadzakusiyani kuba kupha kupondereza m,boma muzimwa tiyi alimi azidandaula mumaganiza mopusa mwina mkadakhala ine ndikadamakonda anthu

  7. I think the problem is that tobacco farmers sees that cultivating tobacco is culture not business. You will see even if govt declare tobacco for free price at market people will still cultivate it in large quantity. Ignorance my farmers!!

  8. I think the problem is that tobacco farmers sees that cultivating tobacco is culture not business. You will see even if govt declare tobacco for free price at market people will still cultivate it in large quantity. Ignorance my farmers!!

  12. Tobacco farmers will never learn. They are like the lower Shire residents who resides along the banks of Shire river and when the floods come, they cry for help and aid from the Government and later blames the Government. Its not a secret that for over the past ten years tobacco prices have been a night mare. But the farmers still cling to tobacco farming hallucinating the lost glory. Haunted by the sweet memories they will grow hectares ngatitu olodzedwa kapena kupepetulidwa kenako kuyamba kulira, ife, ife boma silikutithandiza. The Goverment does not force anybody to grow tobacco and will not force anybody to stop growing the crop because it gets its revenues regardless of the farmer registering losses. On the other hand the previous regime erred in allowing the buyers of the crop to be growers .This is senseless. Wake up farmers its high time we explored other avenues like maize, pigeon peas ,groundnuts etcetra.

  14. Tobacco famer feel betrayed mmm shame.ingosiyani basi azilima aboma zimenezo. Nanga mugule feteleza,makwala,aganyu,muwumitse,mumunyamule from mzimba to BT amukane pali mzelu? phindu lochepa mmm zingoliman zakudya chimanga, mteza ndizinazo kukana kugula amadya. koma izozo kaya ndendkumakatani nazo das shame athandi zeni athu ntchito imawakulila

  18. Boma ngati silikunenapo kanthu ndiye silikufuna kuti lipindule nawo. Tiyeni tikagulitse ku Zambia kapena pa Moshiko, bola asakhuwekhuwe, kkkkk.

    1. The buyers’ll just vacate if forced to do so, what are the poor farmers going to do with all those bale of tobacco, will it be turned into food to feed their families?

    3. They know the inputs are expensive, painful job as you’ve stated, coming to markert no benefit every season, why are they clinging to grow it? As 4 myself I can’t feel sorry 4 them, they deserves crying they are doing it deliberately noone forces them to grow tobacco.

  22. 0pusa ndinu alimi m malo mongosiya kulima fodya inu mukulimira limila eeeish muli ndi vuto kwabasi angokudyelani masuku pamutu inu chonsecho mukuvutika

  23. 0pusa ndinu alimi m malo mongosiya kulima fodya inu mukulimira limila eeeish muli ndi vuto kwabasi angokudyelani masuku pamutu inu chonsecho mukuvutika

  24. 0pusa ndinu alimi m malo mongosiya kulima fodya inu mukulimira limila eeeish muli ndi vuto kwabasi angokudyelani masuku pamutu inu chonsecho mukuvutika

  25. Nthawi yolima zosadibwa inatha,
    Pano tizilima zinthu zoti tikapanda kugulisa tizidya nanga fodya atapanda kugudwa tingatani nayee

  26. Nthawi yolima zosadibwa inatha,
    Pano tizilima zinthu zoti tikapanda kugulisa tizidya nanga fodya atapanda kugudwa tingatani nayee

  27. Nthawi yolima zosadibwa inatha,
    Pano tizilima zinthu zoti tikapanda kugulisa tizidya nanga fodya atapanda kugudwa tingatani nayee

  36. what if one year ALL farmers just decide NOT to grow a single plant of tobacco in Malawi. who would be the greatest loser?

  37. what if one year ALL farmers just decide NOT to grow a single plant of tobacco in Malawi. who would be the greatest loser?

  38. what if one year ALL farmers just decide NOT to grow a single plant of tobacco in Malawi. who would be the greatest loser?

    1. None of them’ll complain(grower or buyer) you can’t just grow a cash crop which has got no demand on market unless you suffers imbecile, there’s no need to blame the gvmt & its President here just replace tobacco with maize and other crops end of story

  45. Panipa malo naszale tinakoza kalekale ndiye kuti ntchitoya ya fodya yayambika koma tikulila tangogulisani chifukwa chimenechi sichimanga kuti tikadya tonse kunyumba mavuto mavuto abale

  46. Panipa malo naszale tinakoza kalekale ndiye kuti ntchitoya ya fodya yayambika koma tikulila tangogulisani chifukwa chimenechi sichimanga kuti tikadya tonse kunyumba mavuto mavuto abale

    1. Koma wailenga nkhaniyi bvumbwe iwe, akuti ku Limbe auction floors nde atumbuka amatumiza fodya wao ku limbeko. Mmutumo ubongo onse utatu ulimo. Makolo ako nzeru zochepa iwenso zopelewera nde ku banja kwanu wanzeru azakhalako ndani.

    1. Koma wailenga nkhaniyi bvumbwe iwe, akuti ku Limbe auction floors nde atumbuka amatumiza fodya wao ku limbeko. Mmutumo ubongo onse utatu ulimo. Makolo ako nzeru zochepa iwenso zopelewera nde ku banja kwanu wanzeru azakhalako ndani.

  58. Tinayamba kale kunena siyani kulima fodya balimani Chimanga, Soya, Nyemba etc koma inu ka!ka!ka! pa fodya siizo olo mutatayila galu sangatole zimenezo chili chimanga bwenzi sichikusowa malonda tangoganizani mmene labour yimachulukirà kuyambila Ku nazare kuzafika pa bale iiii pamakhala chintchito chskalavula gaga.

  64. Most of these are not farmers but vendors who have no knowledge of handling of the crop!!!!! No wonder high rejection rates.

Comments are closed.