By the end of week 11 of the tobacco marketing season, sales hit $110.2 million (around K81 billion).

According to figures from Auction Holdings Limited (AHL) Group, 72.7 million kilograms (kgs) of all types of tobacco were sold during the end of week 11 at an average price of $1.51 per kg, registering about 12.5 million kgs shy of the 85.2 million kgs traded during a similar period last year.

Before the market opened this year, tobacco farmers were promised better prices than the last market season. However, the Tobacco Commission (TC) chief executive officer Kayisi Sadala said the above will happen on the condition that the farmers produce quality crop.

After the 2020 marketing season opened, farmers complained of low prices and high rejection rates, to which Sadala attributed to poor quality crop. However, this year’s prices are fairer compared to last season’s because of flu cured tobacco.