Member of Parliament (MP) for Mzimba West Harry Mkandawire (People’s Party-PP) has asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development to open a tobacco auction floor in Chitipa to alleviate transport costs for tobacco growers in the district.
Responding to a ministerial statement on the 2014/15 crop production outlook which the minister responsible Allan Chiyembekeza delivered in Parliament on Monday, Mkandawire said tobacco growers in Chitipa travel about 300 kilometres to Mzuzu Auction Floors while members of Kabwafu Tobacco Growers Association (KTGA) in Mzimba cover about 70 km to sell their produce.
Chiyembekeza was, however, not ready with a response on the request, but promised to consult relevant stakeholders on the feasibility of such a move.n
