• March 29, 2024

Zambian leaf sales to decline

 Zambian leaf sales to decline

The Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ) expects the trade to buy 1 million kg less tobacco from farmers during the 2016 selling season in Eastern Province, reports The Times of Zambia.

TBZ Chief Executive Officer Samson Muyembe disclosed in Chipata on May13 that the merchants were expected to buy 6 million kg compared with 7,000 kg, which was bought by the merchants during the last season.

Muyembe attributed the decrease to the dry spell which had hit some parts of the farming community in the province as well as the pulling out from the markets by the two merchants during the 2015 season.

He explained that the pulling out of Alliance One International and Zambia Leaf from the market affected the production of tobacco in the province.

Muyembe said the merchants that were currently buying the tobacco from the farmers includes Tombwe Processing Plant Limited, Japan Tobacco International, Hillside, Sun Bridge, Ross Tobacco Investments and Pemba Leaf.