La crise financière mondiale menace l'industrie du tabac au Malawi

Pana Press, 17/02/2009

La crise financière mondiale et le resserrement du crédit menacent l'industrie du tabac, principale pourvoyeur de devises du Malawi, ont annoncé lundi des experts en la matière.

"Nous ne pouvons certainement pas éviter les effets secondaires de la crise", a affirmé Godfrey Chapola, président de la commission de contrôle du tabac (TCC), instance de régulation de l'industrie du tabac.

"Nous ne devons pas fermer les yeux et espérer que l'actuelle crise financière ne va pas nous affecter. Nous suivons la situations avec un intérêt particulier", a -t-il précisé lundi à la PANA.

Le Malawi fait partie des plus grands producteurs de tabac Burley derrière le Brésil et les Etats Unis

En 2007/2008, le Malawi a vendu un total de 194.899.738 kilogrammes de tabac pour un montant de 472 millions de dollar US.

D'après Chapola, la hausse des prix a été suivie d'une augmentation du prix de la feuille dans les salles de vente, ce qui a occasionné une augmentation dramatique de la production en 2008/2009.

Il a indiqué que selon les estimations, la production de tabac Burley passerait de 170 millions de kilogrammes la saison dernière à 221,5 millions cette saison, ce qui représente une hausse de 28 pour cent tandis que le tabac séché a enregistré une hausse de 8 pour cent, passant de 23,7 millions de kilogrammes à 25,5 millions cette saison.

La production de tabac brun quant à elle, est passée de 1,8 millions de kilogrammes la saison dernière à 3 millions cette saison.

"Les producteurs ont été encouragés par les bons prix pratiqués dans les salles de vente, d'où l'augmentation de la production", a ajouté Chapola.

Le Président Bingu wa Mutharika qui est aussi ministre de l'Agriculture s'en est pris l'année dernière aux cartels des acheteurs de tabac sur le marché international en les qualifiant de "voleurs" qui exploitent les fermiers du Malawi.

"Malgré le fait qu'ils ont cultivé du tabac toute leur vie durant, ils n'ont même pas de quoi s'acheter un vélo ou une maison", a-t-il précisé.

L'économiste de 75 ans devenu politicien a de ce fait ordonné qu'aucun tabac du Malawi ne se vendrait à moins de 1,5 dollar US le kilogramme.

La plupart des bonnes feuilles étaient vendu à 2,5 dollars US le kilo, voire 4 dollars US dans certains cas.

Certains rapports indiquent que le gouvernement veut fixer le prix minimum du tabac à 2,20 dollar pour la bonne qualité.

M. Chapola de la commission de contrôle doute cependant que les clients puissent acheter toute la production du fait de la crise financière, en précisant que les acheteurs internationaux voulaient acquérir jusqu'à 223 millions de tabac Burley, près de 45 millions de kilogrammes de tabac séché et près de 45 millions de kg de tabac brun.

M.Chapola a également précisé que la situation a été aggravée par la décision du Brésil de dévaluer sa monnaie de 31 pour cent, ce qui rendra le tabac brésilien moins cher en termes de dollar.

Le tabac domine les exportations du Malawi en générant plus de 75 pour cent des devises du pays.

L'industrie du tabac emploie directement ou indirectement plus de 80 pour cent de la population active du Malawi et contribue à hauteur de 23 pour cent dans les recettes fiscales du pays. 

MALAWI • Un modèle agricole pour l'Afrique

Après une grave famine, le Malawi a décidé de subventionner son agriculture contre l'avis des bailleurs de fonds internationaux. Aujourd'hui, ce petit pays d'Afrique australe est autosuffisant.

L'exemple du Malawi pourrait amener les pays pauvres à remettre en question le bien-fondé des politiques imposées par les bailleurs de fonds. En effet, les principaux partenaires financiers du pays se bousculent aujourd'hui pour soutenir le programme de subventions agricoles du pays, alors que, trois ans plus tôt, ils s'étaient retirés parce que le gouvernement malawite avait fait fi de leurs conseils. Jeff Luhanga, responsable des services de développement agricole du pays, nous a expliqué que l'Etat, un des plus pauvres d'Afrique, avait à l'époque pris une décision inhabituelle et déclaré aux donateurs qu'ils se trompaient au sujet des subventions agricoles. "Nous leur avons dit qu'ils avaient tort et que nous avions raison, et ils sont partis quand nous avons continué à appliquer notre programme."

Un an après le début de l'octroi des subventions, le pays avait doublé sa production de maïs, ce qui n'a pas suffi à impressionner les bailleurs de fonds. "Ils nous ont dit que le programme n'était pas viable, mais nous leur avons répondu que nous allions le poursuivre", raconte Luhanga. Quand la décision de mettre en place les subventions a été prise, en 2005, le Malawi était en proie à la pire sécheresse qu'il ait jamais connue, les récoltes étaient les plus mauvaises jamais enregistrées, et le pays s'est vu contraint d'importer 400 000 tonnes de maïs. Ces importations, explique Luhanga, sont arrivées au compte-gouttes, car le Malawi, enclavé, était tributaire du réseau routier sud-africain, également utilisé par le Zimbabwe et la Zambie. Les Malawites étaient obligés de faire la queue pendant des heures pour obtenir des rations alimentaires, et la population, pourtant en mesure de cultiver de quoi se nourrir, se trouvait donc, pour reprendre les termes de Luhanga, "dans une situation dramatique".

"Nos concitoyens sont durs à la tâche. Ils ont beaucoup de terres, mais ce qui leur manquait, c'était un accès à des intrants agricoles comme les semences et les engrais", dit-il. Le président Bingu wa Mutharika, également ministre de l'Agriculture, décida que rien n'était plus important que d'accorder aux agriculteurs le soutien nécessaire pour qu'ils puissent produire leurs propres cultures vivrières. Des comités de développement rural furent établis dans les villages pour déterminer les bénéficiaires du programme initial qui prévoyait de subventionner environ 1,5 million d'agriculteurs démunis afin qu'ils cultivent au moins un quart d'hectare de maïs. Cela coûta à l'Etat quelque 10 milliards de kwachas [53 millions d'euros], et la production atteignit 3,6 millions de tonnes de maïs, soit plus du double du 1,6 million de tonnes dont le pays a besoin.

Des résultats "époustouflants", selon Luhanga. "Soudain, il y avait du maïs en abondance, les queues ont disparu, les réserves étaient pleines, les prix se sont stabilisés et la question était désormais : qu'allons-nous faire de cet excédent ?" Le gouvernement a alors mobilisé la Société de développement et de commercialisation de l'agriculture (ADMARC), afin qu'elle achète le maïs aux agriculteurs, le stocke en vue d'une utilisation ultérieure et pour les réserves stratégiques nationales.

Un exemple sur le continent

Les douze dépôts de l'ADMARC disséminés dans tout le pays, qui n'avaient plus eu de stocks à gérer depuis quinze ans, étaient au maximum de leurs capacités. Et il en est ainsi depuis la première récolte subventionnée par l'Etat, en 2005. L'économie malawite affiche une croissance positive depuis 2006 et a atteint cette année le taux impressionnant de 7 %, phénomène attribué au secteur agricole. Le gouvernement cherche à présent à consolider la production agricole en formant les agriculteurs à des techniques modernes comme l'irrigation et l'utilisation de semences hybrides, et à la gestion d'entreprise.

Le Malawi est parmi les rares pays d'Afrique à accorder la priorité à l'agriculture. Il alloue 14 % de son budget à ce secteur et l'a placé sous la responsabilité directe du président du pays. Grâce au succès de son programme de subventions agricoles, le Malawi se retrouve sous les feux des projecteurs internationaux. Le Kenya, l'Ouganda, la Tanzanie et le Swaziland y ont envoyé des délégations au cours des trois derniers mois afin d'étudier la mise en œuvre de ce programme, avec l'idée d'en faire de même chez eux. Le Malawi, assure Luhanga, est disposé à faire profiter toute l'Afrique de son expérience parce qu'il considère que la solution aux problèmes alimentaires du continent ne peut pas être locale.

Alors que, cette année, le budget destiné aux subventions a doublé, atteignant 20 milliards de kwachas [106 millions d'euros], en raison de la hausse mondiale des prix des engrais, Luhanga estime que le pays réalise des économies substantielles sur l'argent qu'il aurait dépensé en importations. "Il revient moins cher de subventionner des agriculteurs que de dépenser des milliards afin d'importer des denrées alimentaires." Luhanga appelle l'Afrique à prendre rapidement des mesures pour produire ses propres cultures vivrières, car, avec la production croissante d'agrocarburants, il risque de ne plus y avoir assez de céréales dans le monde, et les pénuries alimentaires sont appelées à s'aggraver.

$47m package approved for big Malawi water programme

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $47,5-million financial package for the implementation of the second phase of Malawi's multimillion-dollar national water development programme.

The continenal lender says that the package includes a $24,658-million loan and a $17,387-million grant from its African Development Fund and another grant of €3,520-million from its Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative Trust Fund.

"The AfDB has made available the funds to complement the Malawi government's efforts to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction," says the bank.

It says the funds will finance three components of the national water development programme, which include rural water supply and sanitation, water resource management, capacity building and programme management.

"For the rural areas, this translates into improved water supply and sanitation for 4,45-million people . . . the bank financing will serve 1,21-million of these people."

The national water development programme is aimed at improving water supply services in all areas of Malawi, but the AfDB will focus on four districts, namely Malanje, Zomba and Machinga in the southern region of the Southern African country, and Lilongwe, in the central region.

The other component of the programme, the urban water supply project, involves the rehabilitation and extension of water supply systems in the major cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe and in other urban centres.

In Blantyre, funds are being pumped into projects to increase the pumping and treatment capacity and to expand off-peak water storage and distribution.

In Lilongwe, the programme is focused on the construction of a substitute pipeline, the procurement of customer meters and network expansion.

The World Bank is the lead financier for the second phase of the national water development programme, with the other financiers being the European Union and the government of the Netherlands.

The programme has a duration of five year project that is meant to ensure that a total of 500,000 people have new or improved water supply services, 4,040 connections are rehabilitated, 1,700 new community water points are established, 3,700 new water connections are installed, and about 2, 25-million people have improved sanitation.

Through the programme, Malawi aims at having over 80% coverage for improved water supply and sanitation by 2015.

Malawi has already implemented the first phase of the national water development programme at a cost of $850-million, which was sourced from the World Bank and other financiers.

Malawi: Tobacco deal with China imminent

Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi, 13/03/2008

The last details and arrangements are being worked on in a view to finalise a tobacco export agreement between China and Malawi, a Chinese official has said. The move is presented by China as a boost to the Malawi's economy which heavily depends on tobacco.

"Tobacco is very important. We in China have our own laws and rules governing the importation of tobacco. Once we finalise, we will import Malawi tobacco," China's ambassador designate Fan Gwinjins told the local daily of The Daily Times.

He however could not tell whether the importation would start this season, saying there are procedures to be followed before they put pen to paper on the agreement.

This announcement came barely a day after government announced that Barlet Tobacco would now be selling at a minimum of US$ 1.61(231 Malawi Kwacha) from last year's US$ 1.21(Malawi Kwacha 174) representing a 33 percent rise in price.

Flue cured tobacco will be selling at a minimum price of US$ 2.20(Malawi Kwacha 316).

Malawi'is capital Lilongwe and China's Beijing agreed to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level from December 28 last year.

The Southern Africa country's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Joyce Banda said Malawi's government recognises that there is but one China in the world.

Malawi dumped Taiwan recently after 42-year diplomatic ties and opted for mainland China.

Banda said out of 53 countries in Africa, Taiwan has relationship with four countries only whilst the rest are with Mainland China citing among others the country's neighbours and economic allies Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Tobacco is the largest foreign exchange spinner for Malawi which also relies heavily on agriculture.

Malawi’s first uranium mine set for December commissioning

By Irma Venter, Engineering News, 29/02/2008

Commissioning of Malawi’s Kayelekera uranium project should start in December, says Paladin Energy MD John Borshoff.

Production ramp-up is scheduled for early next year.

The Kayelekera operation will be Malawi’s first uranium producing mine, and will have a nameplate capacity of 3,3-million pounds of uranium oxide a year.

Paladin owns a 85% stake in Kayelekera, with the balance held by the Malawi government.

“There are 600 people on site at the moment,” notes Borshoff.

He says several milestones have been achieved in the construction of the project over the last few months.

Plant area earthworks at the project are 95% complete.

The project’s 10-MW containerised power plant has been factorytested, and delivered to the Dar es Salaam port, in Tanzania, for transport to site.

The semiautogenous grinding mill has been delivered to Paladin Africa’s storage yard, in Karonga, near the mine site.

Construction of on-site camp facilities for 500 people has been completed, and acid plant long-lead items have been bought.

Mining fleet equipment has been delivered to site, and has been commissioned.

“Within the next six months, we’ll have openpit mining under way,” says Borshoff.

“We’ll have the primary roadworks completed, and the erection of the treatment plant will be under way. Group Five will be on site in two weeks to build the plant.

“Also, a general manager of operations would have been appointed.”

Borshoff says the road has been cleared for Paladin to go ahead with the project, following last year’s near court battle to halt mine develop- ment, as several non-governmental organisations voiced their concerns over uranium-mining in the Karonga region.

Borshoff says the company has resolved all outstanding social issues in an amicable manner, enabling the Kayelekera project to proceed unhindered.

The terms of the settlement include the establishment of a civil society organisation, which will form part of a monitoring team, which will ensure Paladin meets its environmental and health obligations.

Also, at the request of the Karonga community, the government and Paladin have agreed to amend its social responsibility programme.

According to the new programme, $8,2-million of the $10-million which was to be spent on building a school and boarding facilities three years after the start of Kayelekera production will now be applied to the urgent upgrading of the community water supply at Karonga.

Borshoff also reports that Paladin’s only mine producing uranium currently, Langer Heinrich, in Namibia, has finally “achieved its nameplate production”.

Production in the December 2007 quarter reached 390 807 lb, giving a total production of 650 562 lb for the six-month period, July 1 to December 31, thus meeting the company’s target of 650 000 lb for this period.

This follows complications in the ramp-up process at the Namibian operation, after it officially started production in April last year.

The initial ramp-up schedule – as announced in early 2005 – forecast a design production of 2,6-million pounds to be achieved by July 1 last year, which was subsequently deferred to January this year, owing to material failure of leach tank liners in late January 2007, which caused damage to the heat exchangers.

Borshoff says work is progressing on the engineering design and specification for the stage-two production expansion project at Langer Heinrich to 3,7-million pounds of uranium oxide a year.

Construction is expected to start during the first half of 2008, with mechanical completion scheduled for the end of the year.
Borshoff says Paladin is “back on track”, and still “committed to becoming a major uranium supplier”.

• Paladin was admitted to the Namibian Stock Exchange on February 14.

“Last year was our rites to passage. We had some challenges and we overcame them.”

Sadc or Comesa: MALAWi must choose

The Inter Press Service reports that Malawi may be forced to choose between two economic blocs, the South African Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, if it wishes to continue to receive funding from the European Union.

By Pilirani Semu-Banda,Inter Press Service (Johannesburg), 31 January 2008

Malawi finally has to face up to the dilemma of choosing between being a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) or to stick with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) if it is to continue receiving funding from the European Union (EU).

Developing countries like Malawi have been promised assistance to adapt as they open their markets to the EU by agreeing to an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the EU.

EPAs are a new set of "trade and development" deals aimed at removing barriers and creating a free trade area (FTA) between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP).

The European Development Fund (EDF) is the instrument with which the EU has promised to help EPA signatories.

International law expert George Naphambo told the media that Malawi is compelled to choose between belonging to either SADC or COMESA because aid from the EDF will be disbursed on the basis of membership to a regional economic community such as SADC or COMESA.

Naphambo said a country cannot receive EU funding from both bodies, which are two different regional economic communities, as this would mean the country has double access to funds compared to other states.

"It is clear that if Malawi is to benefit from EU funding, it has to belong to one regional economic community -- unless the EU comes up with a formula for funding countries which belong to more than one such community," said Naphambo.

He said if this formula is not developed, there will be pressure on Malawi to leave either one of the bodies as soon as possible. "When push comes to shove, Malawi will have to make a decision because it cannot forego EU funding," said Naphambo.

Economic analysts in Malawi are recommending that the small southern African country is better off staying on in COMESA instead of SADC since the rules of origin in COMESA offer better market access than those in SADC. Rules of origin refer to the country-based exclusion of certain inputs that go into exports.

SADC, on the other hand, is seen as outdoing COMESA as a major export destination, according to Andrew Kumbatira, executive director of the Malawi Economic Justice Network, the country's primary influential non-governmental organisation that promotes economic and trade justice.

Kumbatira says no country should belong to two customs unions. "SADC will soon formalize its own regional customs union and the COMESA customs union is also set to come into effect by next year," he says.

He recommends that Malawi should opt for COMESA since it offers a greater variety of economic dynamics than SADC.

COMESA is the largest economic bloc in Africa, comprising 20 countries with a population of about 385 million people, total gross domestic product of 165 billion dollars and overall exports of 25 billion dollars, according to a 2006 COMESA report.

SADC, on the other hand, is geared towards the political development of its members, according to influential human rights activist Mavuto Bamusi, who also thinks COMESA is the preferable bloc for Malawi to align itself with.

Bamusi says that, as Malawi is at the moment looking at trade as the best development pillar to put in place, COMESA would be its best bet.

"Of course, the decision is not an easy one. Malawi has to be very strategic in making the decision since there are also political implications that will arise. In SADC, Malawi subscribes to a number of very important protocols on issues like anti-corruption and women's participation -- these issues cannot just be left hanging.

"There has to be a strategy on how the country will still apply these commitments," says Bamusi.

He says Malawi's predicament on its dual membership with SADC and COMESA is a long-standing issue which should now be resolved quickly -- but not because of the EPAs. "Malawi should make an independent decision on this and not do it just to make the EU happy.

"The EU should not hold Malawi or any other country to ransom over the EPAs. The EDF should not be aligned to the EPAs -- as civil society organisations we are against such an alignment," says Bamusi.

Bamusi, who also opposes the EPAs, says the EU should be obliged to compensate countries that will be "harmed" by the EPAs. "We are saying that countries like Malawi have so much more to lose than gain in the EPAs. They should be compensated regardless of what customs union they belong to," argues Bamusi.

Malawi should make its choice between COMESA and SADC now because it will be safer sticking to one bloc to avoid a situation where it could be "tossed from one bloc to another" based on regional integration.

Malawi's trade minister Ken Lipenga is on record that the government is still consulting on the way forward on the COMESA-SADC predicament.