District councils in Tanzanias Katavi region have received more than US$1mn from tobacco levies for the current season
Yusuph Mahundi, the Katavi Tobacco Board regional manager, stated this when delivering the tobacco purchasing report for this season at a meeting, which welcomed tobacco stakeholders.
"The purchasing of tobacco this season has increased from US$12.4mn last year to US$21.9mn, an increase of 77 per cent, that is to say that the income derived from levies in district councils whose areas cultivate tobacco has tremendously increased to more than US$1mn this season compared to US$620,127 earned last season," Mahundi stated.
Mahundi also said that tobacco growing for this season which ended on 7 September 2013 has risen from 6mn kilogrammes to more than 8mn kilogrammes.
According to Mahundi, the tobacco purchasing companies including Tanzania Leaf Tobacco Company in this season bought 1,113,090 bundles of tobacco, which amounts to 4.8mn kilogrammes worth US$11.7mn, while Premium Active Tanzania Limited bought 100,044 bundles, which are equal to 4.1 kilogrammes of tobacco valued at US$10.1mn.
