News

Commission confiscates nested tobacco bales
The Tobacco Commission confiscated more than 170 nested tobacco bales in the first three weeks of sales. Nesting is the concealment of stems, scraps, loose leaf or any object within a bale to deceive a buyer on quality or quantity. Tobacco Commission spokesman...

Tobacco Selling Season takes off
State President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on Wednesday opened the 2025 tobacco selling season at Kanengo in Lilongwe. Speaking to the media after witnessing sales in the floors, President Chakwera said it was encouraging to see tobacco being bought way above set...

Commission cautions against nesting – severe punishment awaits
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...

11 companies to buy Malawi tobacco – new buying company on board
Eleven companies are expected to buy Malawi tobacco in the 2024/2025 selling season. Among the 11 is a new company – East Bridge. The others are Nyasa Manufacturing Company, Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company, JTI, Alliance One, Hail and Cotton, Premium Tobacco Malawi...

2025 marketing season opens
The 2024/2025 tobacco selling season will open on Wednesday, 9th April with Lilongwe Selling Floors as the first. Tobacco Commission spokesperson Telephorus Chigwenembe says preparations for the start of the marketing season are at an advanced stage. “We have been...

Commission calls on traditional leaders to arrest child labour
The Tobacco Commission has called on traditional leaders in the country to use their authority to stop child labour in tobacco and to ensure all children go to school instead. Board Chairperson Dr Godfrey Chapola made the appeal at a tree planting exercise jointly...

Industry out to survey tobacco fields
The first round of crop estimates survey for the 2024/2025 tobacco farming season rolled out on Monday, with data collection members from the industry have been deployed to various parts of the country. Coordinated by the Commission, the survey, which ends on January...

Commission whips errant growers
The Tobacco Commission has imposed on the owners of nested tobacco bales confiscated in the 2023/2024 selling season a penalty of 50% of the proceeds from the sale of the crop. Following the confiscation, the nested bales were sent for re-handling after which the crop...

Grower licensing impressive
With two weeks to the close of the grower licensing period for the 2024/2025 farming season, licensed tobacco volumes are showing a positive trajectory, keeping alive confidence in the country’s commitment to satisfying market demand. As of last week, licensed tobacco...

Licensed volumes treble
As the tobacco selling season closed on Friday August 2, the Tobacco Commission had licensed 60.2 million kilogrammes of tobacco, almost trebling the volumes licensed by the same date last year. By August 2 last year, the Commission had licensed 21.7million...