The government officially opened the 2025/2026 tobacco marketing season, citing a record 72 million kilograms sold last season, even as farmers accuse merchants of exploitation and unfair pricing. Officiating at the launch, the minister of agriculture, Hon. Reuben Phiri Mtolo, said the event underscores tobacco’s critical role in Zambia’s socio-economic development.
“This event is significant in our agricultural calendar and underscores the critical role that the tobacco sub-sector continues to play in Zambia’s socio-economic development.” The minister said Zambia recorded a historic achievement last season with total sales reaching 72 million kilograms of tobacco. “This performance reflects the resilience and hard work of our farmers, the commitment of our cooperating partners, and the effectiveness of government policy interventions,” he said.
Government has increased the number of licensed buyers and established additional sales floors to enhance efficiency and competitiveness.
“These measures are intended to promote fair price discovery, improve farmer access to the market, and create a more inclusive and transparent trading environment,” the minister said.
Decentralization of sales floors is also underway to cut costs by bringing the market closer to production areas. “This approach is expected to improve farmer profitability and enhance overall sector performance,” he said.
Meanwhile, a tobacco farmer who wishes to remain anonymous spoke to ZBT and expressed disappointment, saying the official statement does not address realities on the ground.
“Nothing makes sense. We get loans to balance up things; workers work on credit,” the farmer said.
“The statement doesn’t address the realistic issues and challenges we are facing as farmers. We are being exploited by these merchants, and nobody is speaking for the farmers.” He said.
Article by Francine Chibuye
