Tobacco farmers continue protest against low prices

Tobacco farmers continue protest against low prices
By Kabanda Chulu
Friday May 09, 2008 [04:00]

TOBACCO farmers have continued the protest and suspension of selling their produce at the 2008 marketing auction floor in Lusaka due to low prices offered by buyers. And Tobacco Association of Zambia (TAZ) vice president Brighton Mwanguku confirmed the suspension of tobacco sales by farmers and urged the government to intervene because farmers were not getting the benefits of growing the crop.

The farmers withdrew their crop on Wednesday after buyers insisted on purchasing the produce at US $ 3.10 per kilogram against the average price of above US $ 3.60 per kilogram.

Kabwe farmer, Makombe Viyachi said the 2008 marketing season started on Tuesday but several farmers had refused to sell their produce because of lower prices being offered resulting in many farmers to be liquidated.

“Many tobacco farmers are in huge debts and farms are getting liquidated because prices are set without realising production costs and because of this reason we have withdrawn our produce until buyers revise the prices, actually these low prices make farmers to be highly indebted,” said Viyachi.

Choma farmer Andrew Noole said the farmers would not sell their produce until TAZ and buyers adjusted the prices up wards.

And Mwanguku said TAZ and the buyers would meet to try and resolve the matter.

“As farmers, we are looking at an average price of over US $ 3.60 per kilogramme because this price level will at least include some of the costs of production and government must also intervene,” said Mwanguku.

The four tobacco buyers in Zambia are: Tombwe Processing, Alliance One, Associated Tobacco Company and Zambia Leaf Tobacco Company.