By Paul Madise

Lilongwe, April 7, Mana: As we are drawing closer to the official opening of this 2025 tobacco selling season, Tobacco Commission (TC) has put in place strict measures to deal with nesting during this season.

The development has been revealed in TC's statement signed by Terephorus Chigwenembe TC Public Relations Officer indicates that nesting face severe punishment with owners of the confiscated tobacco forfeiting all to the commission.

Kanengo Auction Floors is set to open its market season on 9th April 2025 with 11 companies ready to buy the country's tobacco.

According to the Tobacco Industry Act (2024), nesting is the concealment of stems, scraps, loose leaf or any object within a tobacco bale to deceive a buyer on quality or quantity.

"In 2024, more than 3,400 bales were confiscated for nesting," reads the statement. Meanwhile, the commission imposed a penalty of 50% of proceeds from the sale of re-handled nested bales.

It also clarifies that, in the 2025 selling season, all nested tobacco bales will be forfeited to the commission and the owners of the bales will therefore not get any share of proceeds.

Therefore, the Commission has appealed to all tobacco farmers to desist from the malpractice to avoid losses noting that nesting is pushed to preserve the integrity of Malawi tobacco.