President Mutharika Asks Tobacco Buyers to Give Fair Prices to Farmers

President Professor Peter Mutharika has asked tobacco buyers to give growers fair price as the market season kick start this Wednesday.

The Malawi leader was speaking at Kamuzu Palace on Tuesday evening during an audience with tobacco buyers where he stressed that he considered it necessary to hold meeting with them as the market season begins.

Before the meeting was held in camera, President Mutharika made two significant appeals. He asked tobacco buyers to give tobacco farmers fair price this year so that they benefit from their sweat, he also appealed to both buyers and seller the need to ensure that this year, should be a smooth market season.

President Mutharika hinted that the meeting was to discuss some challenges being faced by tobacco buyers and chart a way forward and looking at grey areas that surround  tobacco buying systems particularly on contract farming.

He spoke highly on the need to explore means of ending challenges that farmers are experiencing on contract farming especially on  Integrated Production System (IPS) which among others farmers are complaining that they do not have a bargaining power for their product.

President Mutharika however, stressed that "No matter what the system is used in the buying of tobacco" but  growers must have a fair price.

He also asked farmers to ensure that they bring high quality tobacco to the market floors and should refrain from practice of mixing tobacco with foreign objects as this may diminish the interest of buyers from buying their tobacco.

His excellency Mutharika also assured the stakeholders that Malawi government values them as key players in the tobacco sector. He further expressed government commitment to work with them and resolve all challenges in the tobacco sector.

Representative from tobacco buyers while thanking government for its positive approaches in the tobacco sector and pledging commitment to ensure that they grow their businesses together with farmers. They have also assured government that they shall remain true partner of Malawi government in the tobacco sector.

Among stakeholders that had an audience with President Mutharika includes, ARET, Alliance One, JTI, Malawi Leaf, TAMA and Limbe Leaf.