Alliance One Tobacco Tanzania Limited (AOTTL) said it has paid USD 71.9 million to farmers during the current season, reports allafrica.

AOTTL’s statement comes at a time when various farmers are complaining about delays in payment of money from buyers due to a shortage of the US dollar in the market. The money went to over 12,000 contracted tobacco growers in the country this season.

AOTTL Managing Director Ephraim Mapoore said this means the company has paid every single cent that was due to farmers during the current season. He said besides the USD 71.9 million payment to contracted farmers, the company also paid USD 1.81 million to Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (Amcos) fees and 780,000 as levy to tobacco cooperative unions.

“We have also paid a total of 1.72 million US dollars as a crop cess directly to various districts in which we operate,” he said, noting that the payments were made in compliance with the government’s recent directive on the period within which farmers are to receive their money.

Recently, the government ordered that all tobacco payments to growers must be paid within 14 days from the date of the completion of the market and that all payments must be made in US dollars.