By Linda Justin-Lilongwe.

The Tobacc Commission has announced that the 2026 tobacco buying season will close on Thursday, 10 September 2026, across all four tobacco markets in the country.

In a statement signed by the Commission’s spokesperson, Telephorus Chigwenembe, the decision follows an assessment of the volume of tobacco coming onto the markets.

The assessment has shown that a large proportion of this year’s tobacco has already been sold.

Meanwhile, agriculture expert Ronald Chilumpha says Malawi’s 2026 tobacco season has been difficult, with revenues from the crop trending below last year’s levels.

Speaking in an interview with Millennium Online Radio, Mr. Chilumpha said both tobacco production and marketing had faced challenges this season, resulting in lower foreign exchange earnings. He said the average price per kilogramme was also lower than what was achieved last year, describing the season as depressed in terms of revenue.

“It’s been a difficult year for tobacco, especially when you look at production as well as marketing,” Mr. Chilumpha said.

He added that farmers faced challenges during the production period, including excessive rains towards the end of the season, which affected productivity.

The expert also raised concerns over inconsistencies in tobacco production estimates, noting that initial projections suggested Malawi had overproduced before subsequent figures indicated underproduction. He said the situation highlighted the need for better planning and coordination within the tobacco value chain.

"Tobacco remains one of Malawi’s major sources of foreign exchange, and the crop requires greater attention to safeguard its contribution to the economy," He added.

According to Mr. Chilumpha, Malawi needs to find ways of managing this cycle by better aligning production with demand on the international market.

He further observed that tobacco production in Malawi has followed a roller coaster pattern, with years of overproduction followed by periods of underproduction. 

He said factors such as international demand and tobacco stocks held by off-takers need to be considered when determining production targets, and accurate demand forecasts should ultimately guide farmers on how much tobacco to produce.

He also commended the Tobacco Commission for introducing Know Your Grower, what he described as a positive direction in coordinating the level of production of tobacco.

The 2026 tobacco buying season opened on 20 April and will have run for 21 weeks by the time it closes.