Tobacco farmers in Chief Chinunda’s area in Chipata have appealed to tobacco buying companies to buy their produce in Zambian Kwacha.
Headman Chimwala, James Mashowo told Breeze News that buying tobacco in US dollars is disadvantaging most farmers as they do not understand well the dollar currency.
Mr. Mashowo says prices of tobacco keep changing every time depending on the exchange rate and a farmer may lose out when they sale the crop at the time when the Zambian Kwacha has depreciated.
He asked for government’s intervention on the matter stating that it is important for tobacco buying companies to start buying the produce using the Zambian Kwacha.
And Mr. Mashowo says most independent tobacco farmers in the area do not know where to sale their product as the buyers only concentrate on sponsored farmers.