…praise Chakwera over high prices fetching the leaf
By Temwanani Gondwe
Tobacco farmers are now smiling all the way to the bank as their sweat is being handsomely rewarded at the market floors through record high prices fetching their tobacco.
Malawi Focus has been monitoring the pricing trend of tobacco since the market was officially opened by President Lazarus Chakwera on April 9, 2025, at Kanengo on April 11, 2025.
Lilongwe Marketing Floors opened with mixed fortunes as the market was flooded with both poor and quality tobacco. However, average prices remained relatively high as compared to the same period last year, according to the Tobacco Commission(TC) the tobacco industry regulator.
Most of the tobacco fetched an average of $2 and that has been the status quo till today.
At Chinkhoma, the market opened with a market range of $1.40 and $3.36 per kilogram, a development which delighted most growers.
On Friday last week, a 43 seconds video went viral of a tobacco grower identified as Luka Nkusa from Bowe in Dowa who is heard in the background praising Chakwera for listening to their grievances by improving the pricing on the market.
“Pempho lathu laveka…iyi nde Chinkhoma iyi mukuionayi.Pempho lathu laveka, pulezidenti uyungwatonse osatiso wa munthu mmodzi ayi.Ubwino wa pulezidenti wathu sakhala kumva, zigwilana ndi Super D odula uja. Iyiyi ndi okoshoni, sindikudziwa kuti ku mgwilizano kukhala bwanji [Our worries have been addressed. This is Chinkhoma Market Floors, and President Chakwera is a listening President and he belongs to us all and he is not for one individual. The prices will make farmers now afford to purchase Super D type of fertilizer. These prices you see are for auction tobacco and I am not sure what will become of tobacco under contract farming, but at least for auction, we are sorted out in terms of good prices],” Nkusa is heard in the video.
Tobacco price tags in the video show high prices of $3.20, and $3.25 which delighted most growers who witnessed the opening of the market apart from Nkusa.
Tama Tobacco Trust President Abel Kalima Banda said in an interview that since the market was opened, prices have been “on a fair note,” and commended the government for enforcing good prices this year.
Banda told Capital FM Radio that he does not see any reason for growers to protest over low prices, stating that the prices are better and historical.
He said the tobacco which floods the market during the early days is usually of poor quality and attracts low prices.
“In fact, some tobacco which has been sold was even not supposed to be sold because its quality was below par. The owners of that tobacco should just thank heavens to have their tobacco sold otherwise I don’t see any reason why growers should stage protests because this government has been so kind and considerate when it comes to tobacco pricing,” said Banda.
Speaking at the official launch of the 2024/2025 Tobacco Market Season at the Auction Holdings Ground in Kanengo, Lilongwe, Chakwera underscored the profound impact of tobacco growers in anchoring the fragile Malawi Kwacha and fueling the nation’s foreign exchange reserves—lifelines for the country’s broader development agenda.
“Tobacco farmers are not mere contributors, they are economic stabilisers,” the President proclaimed to a crowd of industry leaders, government officials, and growers. “Their sweat strengthens our currency and sustains our economy. It is imperative that we shield their interests.”
Speaking earlier before the President, TC Chairperson Godfrey Chapola lauded President Chakwera’s leadership, describing it as instrumental in securing fair market conditions for farmers.
Chapola revealed that this year’s production had soared to 170 million kilogrammes, an impressive leap from 133 million kilograms last season.