06/07/2025
GOVERNMENT URGED TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES FACING TO***CO FARMERS
Chipangali District Council Chairperson, Maxson Kamungu Nkhoma, has called on the government to intervene and protect the interests of to***co farmers following challenges experienced during the 2025 to***co marketing season.
He said some to***co companies have failed to buy to***co from farmers, causing panic and distress among those who have not yet sold their crop.
Nkhoma explained that upon receiving complaints from to***co farmers in Eastern Province, his office conducted physical inspections at major to***co market floors in both Chipata and Lusaka to verify the farmers’ concerns.
He noted that at the Chipata main to***co floors, most companies licensed by the government to buy to***co had stopped purchasing, which has alarmed farmers still holding unsold to***co.
According to Nkhoma, checks at the JTI Baobab to***co floors showed that JTI was nearing its purchase target for the 2025 season, despite many of its contracted farmers still having unsold to***co.
He added that analysis of information collected from farmers suggested that some JTI field officers were colluding with to***co vendors to sell to***co to the company using the names of JTI contracted farmers without their knowledge. This, he said, has left some JTI farmers stranded with to***co outside JTI offices in Chipata.
Nkhoma also revealed that farmers contracted by the To***co Trading Company (TTC) had been left stranded with over 2,000 bales of to***co because TTC was unable to buy to***co this season due to financial challenges.
He further said that at the Lusaka To***co Association main floors, only one company, Hail and Cotton, was buying to***co from farmers from Eastern, Central, and Western Provinces, while other companies had stopped purchasing for various reasons. This situation, he said, has left over 200 trucks packed with to***co stranded in Lusaka.
Given these challenges, Nkhoma stressed the urgent need for the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, to address the difficulties faced by to***co farmers.
He urged the Minister of Agriculture and the To***co Board of Zambia to immediately find workable solutions to help farmers find markets for their crops.
Nkhoma expressed grave concern that the To***co Board of Zambia appeared detached from the farmers and the situation, warning that if left unchecked, this could lead to the collapse of the to***co industry in Zambia.
