By Vincent Gunde
Tobacco marketing season for 2026 has started at the Lilongwe Auction Floors with high rejections of bales of tobacco particularly for those farmers who are not on contract.
Farmers had to write N/S on the labels meaning no sale, a clear indication that the price which was offered was contrary to the quality of tobacco and considering expenses which were incurred when growing the commodity
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The whole 62 tobacco bales lined up for sale, only one bale not written no sale, has spoken strong words that tobacco growers this year will not sing a good song of victory but crying and if this is left unchecked, suicide cases will be on the rise.
But, on a sad note, some tobacco farmers are insulting and castigating President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika for not protecting them from tobacco buyers who do not want to buy their tobacco but taking it to their country’s for free.
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A Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Constituency Vice Secretary for Lilongwe speaking on a strict condition of anonymity, has accused farmers that are insulting President Professor Mutharika over low prices of the leaf of not knowing on who has destroyed this country between Professor Mutharika and Dr. Lazarus Chakwera.
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The source said Professor Mutharika is just innocent as the tobacco farmers are, and he is in no way concerned with the prices of a leaf being offered at the Auction Floors.
He said while it is true that that tobacco farmers applied expensive fertilizer to their gardens, buying the leaf at the price less than 2 Dollars, is an insult to all tobacco growers..
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The MCP Secretary said for the prices of fertilizer, tobacco growers must ask MCP President on why his government did nothing to stop fertilizer dealers from raising its prices claiming that had he stood up protesting, Malawians could have by today been buying a bag of fertilizer at K20,000 the price the DPP government left it.
He said truth to be told if President Chakwera left the country in the same way as to what Professor Mutharika left it in June, 2020, fertilizer prices could not have been adjusted upwards to over four times miseries of the poor people.
The source has claimed that the economic challenges the country is sailing through such as no forex, no fuel, are as a result of thieving in government by President Chakwera and all of his lieutenants.
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” President Chakwera is just an ordained Priest on paper and not on the ground, he has watched at Malawians suffering and they are still suffering to this day,” said the source.
He said President Professor Mutharika is not to blame for the country’s mess, these are man – made crisis by senior members of the MCP under the banner of servant leaders while they were true thieves that contributed to the fall of the government of Malawi for 5 years under the leadership of Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his MCP.
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The source has finally urged Malawians to pray for the life of President Professor Mutharika for abundant and cheaper food saying no one expected the price of a pail of 5 L maize to be less than K4,000 from K8,000 in September, 2025.
