Heavy rains affecting most of southern Africa will reduce forecasted tobacco harvests in Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Due to the recent rains and a drought earlier in the season, the Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association (ZTGA) has revised its crop projection to less than 70 million kg, down from the 120 million kg that it had previously projected for 2008. Farmers said that although fertiliser had been applied, the heavy rains have easily leached it down.
In 2007, Zimbabwe's tobacco production amounted to 73 million kg. The rainfalls pose a similar problem for Malawi. The country has cut its 2008 tobacco production forecast by about 3 per cent. According to Reuters, Henderson Chimoyo of the government's Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) said Malawi expected to produce 145 million kg of burley and flue-cured tobacco this year.
The previous forecast, last updated in January, was for 150 million kg. Total production for 2007 was 140 million kg, which makes Malawi the world's biggest producer of burley tobacco. (sc/ pi)