The Eastern Fodya Association of Zambia, EFAZ says there is need to adjust some of the sections in the 1968 tobacco Act.
Speaking on the sidelines of the TBZ consultative meeting held in Chipata yesterday, EFAZ chairperson, Franklyn Mwale, says changes to the act are needed because of the transformation that has taken place in tobacco farming methods and marketing.
Mr. Mwale says the tobacco Act has been in existence for over 40 years and needs to be amended to suit the current trends and growing number of farmers in the province.
He emphasized that the act should just be amended so that it addresses current issues such as sponsorship of farmers without farming equipment and levies that farmers pay, instead of completely being repealed.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mwale says that due to last year’s good market for the crop, more farmers have been encouraged to grow tobacco during the 2017-2018 farming season.
Mr. Mwale has urged farmers to provide the association with information that will assist EFAZ to start negotiations with the government through TBZ over buying companies.