By Phillimon Backson
The Tobacco Commission has disclosed that it will limit crop production volumes in the 2026/2027 farming season as part of efforts to curb overproduction and ensure tobacco output matches market demand.
The Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Evans Chilumpha, disclosed this today when the Commission appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Industry, Trade and Tourism in Lilongwe.
Chilumpha said the move follows overproduction recorded during the 2024/2025 farming season, when farmers produced 221 million kilogrammes of tobacco against a market demand of 213 million kilogrammes.
He said the excess production, coupled with forward buying arrangements by tobacco-buying companies, affected the volumes available for purchase during the current marketing season leading to high rejection rate.
According to Chilumpha, projections for the 2025/2026 farming season also indicate a surplus, with production estimated at 197 million kilogrammes against a trade demand of 170 million kilogrammes.
