By Chilungamo Missi

Chiradzulu, January 11, Mana: Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale says government is committed to promote tobacco farming in all regions of the country as there are more markets internationally that are set to buy Malawian tobacco.

Kawale made the remarks in Chiradzulu on Wednesday when he visited one of the tobacco fields in Traditional Authority (TA) Sandiraki to appreciate how tobacco farming is fairing in the district.

He said his ministry is committed to continue supporting farmers and working with buyers to offer good prices for the farmers to realize good profits hence his visit was aimed to understand the challenges facing the growers.

“Ministry of Agriculture works with small, medium and large-scale farmers to find out how we can support them in the tobacco industry. In the field we visited today, the family has been growing tobacco since 2001 and over the years they have been meeting challenges which we have been addressing.

“Most of the issues which they had have been addressed in the recent tobacco bill that has just been passed and the reason we came is to assure the farmers that government is taking care of the problems raised,” he said.

Kawale, therefore, encouraged farmers to embrace tobacco farming saying tobacco can be grown anywhere in the country adding his ministry is yet to embark on a massive campaign to encourage farmers to grow more tobacco since there is plenty markets.

Speaking in an interview, a tobacco farmer whose field was visited, Wyson Komwa said he has been growing tobacco for 21 years but has been realizing low profits due to low prices.

He added that climate change effects have also been affecting the farming.

In the previous growing season, Komwa realized about K4.7 million.

He said, with support from government together with his fellow farmers, he can do even more in the tobacco industry and continue contributing to the country’s development.

He, therefore, hailed the minister for finding time to visit farmers and hear their problems, a gesture described as courageous to farmers as well as those who aspire to start tobacco farming in the area.