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.

The market opened with the green gold is selling at  $1.68 from $1.55 last year, while the rejection rate has been reduced from 50% last week to around 40% this week. However, Agriculture Lobin Lowe urged farmers to grade their tobacco accordingly to help address concerns of rejection at the market.

Tobacco Association of Malawi Farmers Trust President Abel Kalima Banda also outlined that the tobacco bales on the market are of good quality but badly graded.