Trouble in Lilongwe as tobacco farmers stop selling due to outstanding payments since April – Malawi Nyasa Times

Tobacco farmers on the Kanengo auction floors have suspended sales to buying companies since April due to outstanding payments.

Mavuto Phiri, a frustrated farmer from Lilongwe, expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of transparency and accountability in the payment process.

Phiri sold his tobacco at the Chinkhoma auction grounds on April 15 during the opening of the 2024 tobacco market season presided over by President Lazarus Chakwera.

Since then, however, he has witnessed a frustrating cycle of blame between banks and Auction Holdings Limited (AHL). “I was sent back and forth between the banks and AHL without either taking responsibility for the unpaid fees,” Phiri lamented.

A meeting is currently underway between officials from the Tobacco Control Commission, AHL and other stakeholders to discuss the issue. However, AHL representatives declined to comment on the matter.

This development has raised concerns among tobacco farmers who are seeking a quick resolution to the payment crisis.

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