In the 2025 selling season, nesting will be punished harder, with owners of confiscated tobacco forfeiting all to the Commission.
According to the Tobacco Industry Act (2024), nesting is the concealment of stems, scraps, loose leaf or any object within a tobacco bale to deceive a buyer on quality or quantity.
Commission spokesperson Telephorus Chigwenembe says in 2024, more than 3,400 bales were confiscated for nesting.
“The Commission imposed a penalty of 50% of proceeds from the sale of re-handled nested bales. However, this year it will be a different story. All nested tobacco bales will be forfeited to the Commission. The owners of the bales will, therefore, not get any share of proceeds.”
Chigwenembe says nesting is punished to preserve the integrity of Malawi tobacco.
The Commission has since called on all famers to desist from the malpractice to avoid losses.
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