The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that this year’s tobacco marketing season is set to open on April 20 starting with the Kanengo Auction Floors, as the ministry’s spokesperson Gracian Lungu informed The Daily Times newspaper.

In other news, JTI Leaf Malawi, has paid K581, 250,000 to 8,000 to its tobacco growers to cushion them from possible effects of the Covid pandemic, as the company’s  Corporate Affairs and Communications Director Limbani Kakhome described the sum as the firm’s help for growers to meet production demand to come up with top quality leaf amidst the pandemic.

“We have a cordial relationship with our growers. As such, we know that, around this time, almost every grower does not have enough money to finance some of the basic necessities at the household and farm level and this is even more compounded now by Covid.” said Kakhome. “Apart from growing tobacco,