The Tobacco Commission (TC) has appealed for stakeholder support towards the Know Your Grower (KYG) initiative to ensure a sustainable tobacco industry, as Malawi joined the world in commemorating World Tobacco Growers Day yesterday, October 28.
World Tobacco Growers Day is observed annually to recognise the contribution of tobacco farmers to society and to reflect on the challenges facing growers as well as the collective responsibility to address them.
This year’s commemoration was held under the theme ‘Ending Child Labour and Promoting Education – a Shared Responsibility for a Brighter Future’, with emphasis on protecting children and promoting access to education.
In a statement signed by Tobacco Commission Public Relations Officer Telephorus Chigwenembe, the Commission called on all stakeholders in the tobacco value chain to work together to eliminate child labour in tobacco production and ensure that every child has access to education.
The Commission says a sustainable tobacco industry must not only deliver economic benefits but also uphold the rights and welfare of children, appealing to stakeholders to integrate child protection in their tobacco growing practices and sustainability programmes.
Through the KYG project, which was rolled out on July 27, 2026, the Commission seeks to develop a comprehensive database of tobacco growers that will facilitate monitoring of compliance with global market standards, including non-involvement of children, and improve traceability of Malawi’s tobacco.
According to the statement, strengthened traceability is expected to enhance competitiveness of Malawi’s tobacco on the international market and help eliminate vendors from the system, ensuring that only genuine growers are allowed to produce tobacco.
The Commission has since appealed to all growers to register under the initiative to be eligible to sell their tobacco in the next marketing season, disclosing that as of Tuesday, October 27, 2026, about 70,000 out of an estimated 170,000 active growers had been registered.
TOBACCO COMMISSION APPEALS FOR SUPPORT TOWARDS KYG INITIATIVE AND END TO CHILD LABOUR
By Martha Chikoti
The Tobacco Commission (TC) has appealed for stakeholder support towards the Know Your Grower (KYG) initiative to ensure a sustainable tobacco industry as Malawi joined the world in commemorating World Tobacco Growers Day yesterday, October 28.
World Tobacco Growers Day is observed annually to recognize the contribution of tobacco farmers to society and to reflect on the challenges facing growers as well as the collective responsibility to address them.
This year’s commemoration was held under the theme ‘Ending Child Labour and Promoting Education – a Shared Responsibility for a Brighter Future’, with emphasis on protecting children and promoting access to education.
In a statement signed by Tobacco Commission Public Relations Officer Telephorus Chigwenembe, the Commission called on all stakeholders in the tobacco value chain to work together to eliminate child labour in tobacco production and ensure that every child has access to education.
The Commission says a sustainable tobacco industry must not only deliver economic benefits but also uphold the rights and welfare of children, appealing to stakeholders to integrate child protection in their tobacco growing practices and sustainability programmes.
Through the KYG project, which was rolled out on July 27, 2026, the Commission seeks to develop a comprehensive database of tobacco growers that will facilitate monitoring of compliance with global market standards, including non-involvement of children, and improve traceability of Malawi’s tobacco.
According to the statement, strengthened traceability is expected to enhance competitiveness of Malawi’s tobacco on the international market and help eliminate vendors from the system, ensuring that only genuine growers are allowed to produce tobacco.
The Commission has since appealed to all growers to register under the initiative to be eligible to sell their tobacco in the next marketing season, disclosing that as of Tuesday, October 27, 2026, about 70,000 out of an estimated 170,000 active growers had been registered.
