SOUTH AFRICA
The Black Tobacco Farmers’ Association (BTFA) has accused the government of being “in bed” with tobacco bootleggers and of having “done a deal with the devil”.
BTFA also said that South Africa’s black tobacco growers were on the verge of financial ruin, due to the ongoing ban and as a result of competition from illicit tobacco products being sold on the black market during the lockdown period.
According to Christo van Staden, managing director of Limpopo Tobacco Processors (LTP), before the lockdown started the total market already consisted of approximately 40% illicit products.
LTP processed tobacco leaf acquired from various tobacco farmers. LTP represents 100 commercial farmers who produced 11 million kilograms of tobacco and 150 black developing farmers who produced 250,000 kg of tobacco per annum.
Van Staden also said that should the ban on tobacco not be lifted soon, a significant number of tobacco producers would have no option but to reduce the size of their operations or cease operating altogether. “This has the potential to significantly increase the number of unemployed workers, particularly in rural areas.”