Maravi

Tobacco association urges production increase

Tobacco association urges production increase
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sun 06 Feb. 2011, 04:01 CAT

TOBACCO has continued to be a crop of economic importance to Eastern Province, according to the Tobacco Board of Zambia.

During the Eastern Fodya Association of Zambia (EFAZ) annual general meeting at Pine View Guest House, TBZ chief executive officer Aven Muvwende said tobacco was a source of employment for more than 50,000 people.

He said jobs in the tobacco industry were not only for farmers but also for input suppliers, extension workers, workers in tobacco companies, regulatory institutions, transport, energy and communication sectors.

Muvwende said despite a number of challenges faced in the tobacco industry, the province produced 17 million kilogrammes in last year’s marketing season and contributed about 46 per cent to the total tobacco production in the country.

He urged the tobacco industry in the province to double its efforts to increase production from 17 to 25 million kilogrammes by 2013.

Muvwende said although tobacco had well designated markets, the province had been a victim of briefcase business people and this brought about difficulties in the recovering of loans by sponsors.

“Our credibility and integrity will severely go down if we encouraged side selling of tobacco.

Tobacco is costly to produce and very few of our farmers are able to sponsor themselves,” Muvwende said last Thursday.

He said EFAZ was given an opportunity to manage all tobacco sales floors in the province but the tobacco board received a lot of complaints from tobacco stakeholders.

Muvwende said EFAZ was aware of the stakeholders’ complaints and the association should make an effort to address them.

Provincial minister Isaac Banda said the government was aware of the hardships that farmers faced during the marketing season and wider consultations were going on with the relevant government organs that deal with such situations.

EFAZ vice chairperson Chishala Chilufya commended President Rupiah Banda for appointing his association to the TBZ board.

Labels: TOBACCO

posted by MrK @ 7:06 PM