A new buyer has been announced on the tobacco market, a development that has excited growers. The Tobacco Commission (TC) announced a Serbian tobacco buying company called Tobacco Industry of Bujanovac (TIB).

During a news conference in Lilongwe jointly held by TC and TIB representatives, TIB chairperson Dragan Stankovic said the company has chosen Malawi because of the range of tobacco varieties, while revealing plans to  invest in the new manufacturing of final tobacco products in the country.

Stankovic said they are looking for burley tobacco and plan to buy between 100 and 200 tonnes this season. Meanwhile, Tobacco sales have started on a high note at Mzuzu Auction Floors on Monday as some bales of burley tobacco were bought at $2.40 while flue cured tobacco fetched as high as $4.15.