Malawi’s tobacco regulator has urged growers to begin preparations early for the 2026/27 season, warning that timely field management and adherence to recommended farming practices will be crucial to producing leaf capable of attracting stronger prices on international markets.
Speaking during an inspection of the ongoing field licensing and Know Your Grower (KYG) registration exercise in Kasungu Division, Tobacco Commission board chair Rev Daniel Gunya said quality remained the industry’s most important determinant of value and competitiveness.
His comments come as the commission seeks to widen participation in the registration programme ahead of the next growing season and strengthen traceability across the tobacco value chain.
Gunya said the commission would continue registering growers until all eligible farmers had been captured in the system, describing the exercise as central to the orderly management of the sector.
The KYG initiative, introduced to improve grower identification and compliance, has become a key component of Malawi’s efforts to meet international market requirements and improve oversight of tobacco production.
The registration exercise, initially scheduled to conclude on 3 October, has been extended to 17 October following a higher-than-anticipated turnout by growers.
According to Tobacco Commission figures, Malawi has an estimated 191,000 tobacco growers. As of 12 October, 49,229 producers had been registered under the KYG system.
The extension is expected to allow more farmers to complete both licensing and registration before planting begins.
Growers have broadly welcomed the exercise, although some have reported delays linked to staffing shortages.
Joseph Kakhwesi, a farmer from Traditional Authority Chaima, said demand for registration services had at times exceeded available capacity.
However, he noted that the commission had deployed additional personnel to high-volume centres, including Kasungu, to improve processing times.
The push for greater registration coverage comes as Malawi’s tobacco industry seeks to maintain quality standards and secure stronger returns in a market increasingly shaped by traceability, compliance requirements and buyer demand for premium leaf.
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