The trouble with Africa

摘要

Brazil's problems should have opened a door of opportunity for leading African producers to claim back at least part of the world leaf market lost to South American and other producers when Zimbabwe's crop collapsed amid the violent seizure of white-owned farm land. But Africa's main producers are far from ratcheting up crop production or quality and are faced with an industry surplus that does not bode well for the region's tobacco prosperity. "There are a number of countries in southern Africa that have the potential to significantly increase flue-cured and burley leaf production. These include Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi where we already have extensive operations and where production has grown rapidly in recent years," Universal Leaf Tobacco senior vice president Jim Starkey told World Tobacco.