TAMA BUSINESS FOCUS

Indonesia: The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) in Indonesia stated that 50% of the tobacco product excise revenue sharing fund will be allocated to support the social protection fund for farmers and workers in the tobacco industry. According to the KSP, the effort is necessary in order to help workers and farmers cope with the impact of the global economic uncertainty on Indonesia’s tobacco sector. The assistance will be offered in the form of fertilizer, machinery and cash. Notably, the Ministry of Finance requires 3% of the tobacco excise revenue to be allocated as a profit-sharing fund managed by the producing regional government. Zimbabwe: The Zimbabwe government has put in place modalities to ensure value addition for tobacco before export. During a speech by Anxious Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, it was reaffirmed that the government plans to reach its USD 5 billion tobacco industry goal by 2025 through beneficiation of the crop. The Min...

The Tobacco Industry in the country is geared to fight Non-Tobacco Related Materials commonly known as NTRM and tobacco beetle in the fourth coming marketing season. This has been revealed as technical committee has been spread over the week end in all the tobacco growing areas in the country to sensitise all players to guard against the vices. The meetings will be done from 13 to 14 February, 2023 at Bolero EPA Engucwin in the northern region, at Santhe, Wimbe, Nambuma (Chimundi), Kapiri and Nsipe in the central region, and at Nankumba, Nyezelera and Ngwelero in the southern region. The exercise is actually a sensitisation meeting to farmers to avoid NTRM, nesting and promote hygiene, which mitigates tobacco beetle. The Malawi tobacco market is at risk of being shunned by buyers if these vices are not delt with. The industry complains of vendors who mix grades, use plastic sacks in tobacco handling, and do nesting for growers are well trained and highly sensitised. The exercise al...

The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services says the country should expect normal to above normal cumulative rainfall amounts between now and March. This is according to the Malawi 10-day Weather and Agrometeorological Bulletin released by the department today. The Bulletin argues that rainfall is expected to be influenced by La Nina conditions that have been established over eastern-central equatorial Pacific Ocean. Global models project that these conditions are likely to persist throughout the season. It asserts that during January to March 2023, most areas in the south, center and the north are expected to receive normal to above-normal cumulative rainfall amounts. The weather wisemen say the rainfall forecast for the second part of the 2022/2023 season is that at national level, there are higher prospects of normal to above normal cumulative rainfall amounts over most parts during sub-season January, February and March (JFM) of the 2022/2023 season. During...

The Malawi Investments and Trade Centre (MITC) has released the 2022/23 crop year trade demand. The aggregate demand for market opportunities stands at 90,000 metric tonnes for Soya while Beans stands at 107,545 metric tones. Groundnuts is at 34,260 metric tonnes; Rice is at 23,530 metric tonnes; Tea at 360 metric tonnes; Coffee at 11,000 metric tonnes; Macadamia at 920 metric tonnes; Sunflower at 20,000metric tonnes; Pigeon Peas at 117,000 metric tonnes; Cow/chick Peas at 3,020 metric tonnes; Sesame at 18,640 metric tonnes; Tomatoes at 75 metric tonnes; Mangoes at 300 metric tonnes; Pineapple at 10metric tones; Poultry at 80 metric tonnes of meat, and 3 million trays of eggs. The report indicates that export opportunities for different products fall under the different regions. It shows that Malawi products are needed by different companies in different regions. There is demand in for 500 metric tonnes of Soya by the Agri Insumos of Mozambique, Grain Solutions from Zimbabwe is looki...

Members of Chifundo Cooperative The Trust is proud of CHIFUNDO COOPERATIVE of Ntchisi District, one of the 49 cooperatives that were established as divers of diversification among its members for increased strides in production and marketing of Soya. In the Picture, some members pose for a proud photo in a 1-acre demonstration soya field. They are producing two varieties of the crop, Serenade and Tikolore. According to their leader Olipa Moses, the Cooperative would like identify the best variety for Ntchisi soils. She says that they are producing Tikolore on 11 acres and Serenade on 15 acres of land. She says due to lack of enough quantities of seed, some members have combined the varieties on single piece of land. “We can confirm that the Tikolore variety has a ready market while we have more to do to get the market for Serenade variety,” she reported. “We made ridges of 75 cm apart, 5 cm in between planting stations of one seed and 10 cm apart for 2 seeds per station on th...