Tobacco Future in Doubt

The future of Malawi’s indigenous farmers depending on tobacco as a pathway to economic prosperity hangs in the balance, with government urging diversification amid declining global demand.

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Hon. Roza Fatch Mbirizi, challenged farmers to embrace crop diversification to build resilience and reduce risks as international tobacco prices continue to shrink.

Speaking at the opening of the 38^th TAMA Farmers Trust Annual Congress, Mbirizi warned that overproduction remains a major concern, citing output of 200 million kilogrammes in 2025 and 197 million kilogrammes in 2026. She said the surplus has contributed to high rejection rates on the global market.

“Licences must go only to farmers capable of producing high‑quality tobacco varieties that can compete internationally,” Mbirizi stressed.

She encouraged growers to venture into other commercial crops such as peas and beans to reduce overproduction and diversify income sources. Mbirizi also noted that Malawi must improve competitiveness as Tanzania and Mozambique are producing similar tobacco varieties.

TAMA President Abiel Kalima‑Banda backed the Minister’s call, urging farmers to adopt demand‑driven production and grow alternative crops to sustain livelihoods.

“Overproduction has brought us to where we are today, with increased rejection rates and low prices,” Kalima‑Banda said.

He added that the annual congress provides an opportunity to engage farmers on solutions to sector challenges.

Meanwhile, social media commentator Tim Kachitosi argued that the crisis is largely self‑inflicted, blaming the Tobacco Commission for encouraging overproduction.

“The Commission registers any applicant in pursuit of registration fees, instead of regulating production and marketing,” Kachitosi wrote.

He further questioned why in 2025 government forced merchants to buy tobacco above their requirements, leaving some unable to export what they procured.