APA-Lilongwe (Malawi) Malawi 2023 tobacco marketing season kicked off in the capital Lilongwe on Wednesday, with this year’s output expected to be 48 percent higher than what went under the hammer at the country’s four auction floors in 2022.
According to Malawi’s Tobacco Commission, over 126 million kilogrammes of the golden leaf are expected to be sold this year, up from 85 million kilogrammes in 2022.
“A recent crop estimates survey attributed the increase in production to good prices for the leaf in 2022, increased sponsorship and friendly weather among other factors,” the commission said.
Malawi earns more than 50 percent of its export revenue from tobacco sales, making the country very dependent on this cash crop.
Tobacco in Malawi is traded in auctions as well as through direct contracts.
The country has four main auction floors located in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Kasungu.
JN/APA