TC chief executive officer Dr. Joseph Chidanti-Malunga says with this goal they are looking at producing at least 200 million kilograms of tobacco per year.

"There are several strategies in place to ensure that more farmers grow tobacco in the country. For example, improved prices of buying the leaf from farmers is just one of them,” said Dr. Chidanti-Malunga.

Dr. Chidanti-Malunga says with this conducive market environment, Malawi is likely to be the number One tobacco-growing country in the SADC region by 2028 despite some obstacles like the effects of Climate Change that also affect production.

Explained: "We are responding to the effects of Climate where we are planting trees in most parts of the country.”

Last Saturday, TC planted 2,500 trees Katokoto Primary School under the Inkosi ya Mkaosi the V in Mzimba which is one of the biggest tobacco-growing districts in the northern region.

One of the traditional authorities in the district Inkosi Kampingo Sibande has attributed massive deforestation to illegal charcoal burners who sell their products to the neighboring city of Mzuzu.

"There are people who are destroying our environment. We have by-laws that will soon start implementing them to protect natural trees in the district,” warned Inkosi Kampingo.

Last year Malawi produced 129,000 kilograms of tobacco and this year's estimates are yet to be revealed.