By Wendy Mkandawire
The Mega Farmers Association of Malawi says it will hold demonstrations at all Tobacco Auction Floors on August 10, 2026, to demand payment for tobacco already sold after months of unanswered pleas.
Speaking in an interview Association Chairperson Vasco Madhlopa said the organization has repeatedly engaged with and visited Kanengo Auction Floors, but all efforts have been in vain.
Madhlopa said farmers have been sent back and told to wait for payment, and sometimes no answers are given regarding their pleas.
He stressed that farmers urgently need the money to buy farm inputs such as fertilizer and seeds ahead of the new tobacco season.
He added that other farmers are also failing to pay school fees for their children who depend on them.
Madhlopa said they have engaged officials at the auction floors several times, but no progress has been recorded so far, as they are furnished with the same response each time, prompting them to take their demands directly to the premises.
Yasin Makopala, a tobacco farmer from Kasiya in Lilongwe, said the payment delays have ignited misunderstandings between the farmers and tenants due to the overdue payments, calling for immediate attention to the matter.
The 2025-2026 tobacco season has faced several challenges, including high rejection rates, low prices, and delayed payments, among others.
