When the
World Health Organization initiated its anti-smoking campaign over a decade ago, tobacco-growing countries became increasingly concerned about the economic challenges they would face.
Tobacco production in Africa dates to the 1900s. The main exporters of tobacco in East Africa in 2019 were Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique, according to
The export value of tobacco in Zimbabwe was $783 million; in Malawi, it was $500 million; and in Mozambique, it was $252 million, per the data.
Nixon Lita, CEO of the Tobacco Association of Malawi, said Malawian farmers are hardworking and good learners who can easily shift to an alternative crop that will provide comparable revenue.