Malawi’s President, Lazarus Chakwera has disclosed on Tuesday that the African nation will soon withdraw from growing tobacco despite the fact that its export is responsible for 60% of the country’s earnings.
According to Chakwera, the tobacco industry is dying off due to the harzadous health effect that comes from smoking and as such it is time to explore more sustainable and profitable measures.
He reached out to the Ministry of Agriculture to begin consultations with stakeholders and predict how much time the nation has to change direction before the economy becomes totally weak from dwindling sales of tobacco. Marijuana he suggested as a more viable option for Malawian farmers.
He also made reference to a new law which allows for the growing of industrial cannabis. Although an economics professor lauded the president’s ambition, he mentioned that it wouldn’t be easy.
