Some tobacco farmers have called on EFAZ the Eastern Foodya Association of Zambia to dialogue with chiefs and find ways of preventing the tobacco ban.
Emmanuel Jere and Nason Banda of Chief Mnukwa’s area, say that concerns by traditional leaders that tobacco growing is leading to deforestation are genuine.
The two farmers however, feel that stopping people from growing tobacco can have a serious negative effect on people’s economic status.
They therefore feel, associations together with TBZ, the Tobacco Board of Zambia must instead find ways to encourage farmers to plant more trees.
Recently, some traditional leaders, especially Chief Chanje of the Chewa people in Chipata have warned that if there is no improvement in the planting of trees, they would ban tobacco growing to serve the forests from destruction.