Tobacco Asia

Tobacco Asia 51 Malawi's staple food. "With that, we ensure that households are food secure," Chitwere said. This dual support reflects a holistic approach: strength‑ ening tobacco production while safeguarding food security. Processing and infrastructure plans At present, East Bridge relies on partner compa‑ nies for primary processing and packing. Howev‑ er, the company has ambitious plans. "We intend to invest in a green leaf threshing plant as well as cigarette manufacturing technology," Chitwere di‑ vulged. Such investments would allow East Bridge to control more of the value chain, enhance qual‑ ity assurance, expand its product portfolio and get into OEM services, perhaps even a proprietary cigarette brand. Malawi's global role in Burley tobacco Malawi's burley tobacco is prized worldwide for its filler qualities. "It expands when pressed, af‑ fording production of more cigarettes per kilo," explained Chitwere. With its moderate nicotine levels and good smoking characteristics, Malawi Burley competes strongly against Brazilian leaf. However, regionally, Mozambique leaf is consid‑ ered the closest competitor, with buyers often treating the two origins as interchangeable. Zam‑ bia and Zimbabwe, by contrast, produce relatively little burley, focusing instead on FCV varieties. Diversifying into DFC While burley dominates Malawi's tobacco land‑ scape, the country also produces smaller volumes of flue‑cured and dark‑fired cured tobaccos, along with negligible quantities of sun‑cured oriental. "But burley is far easier for smallholders to pro‑ duce than any of the others due to its lower cost of production," Chitwere noted. Yet East Bridge is keen to diversify. "We plan to boost produc‑ tion of DFC to bring Malawi on the world map for that particular variety," she said. The company also intends to support increased flue‑cured out‑ put through contract growing. Crop figures and market potential Malawi's crop figures underscore the scale of pro‑ duction. In 2025, burley output reached over 204 million kilograms, flue‑cured stood at nearly 15 million, and dark‑fired clocked in just over 2 mil‑ lion – a total of more than 221 million kilograms. For East Bridge, these figures represent both op‑ portunity and responsibility. "We export 100% of our trade volume," Chitwere confirmed, highlight‑ ing the company's global orientation. Securing export markets As a newcomer, East Bridge has yet to establish its top five export markets. "This being our first operational season, we are still in the process of building those relationships," Chitwere explained. Nonetheless, the company is actively exploring opportunities in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. "We are looking to deepen our presence in regions where demand for high‑quality leaf and reliable supply chains continues to grow," she said. Building for the future Scaling internationally is not a walk in the park nor without obstacles, of course. "Fluctuating regulatory environments, tightening compliance requirements, and shifting excise structures all pose challenges," Chitwere acknowledged. Yet she is optimistic that "with stronger partnerships, sharper logistics, and a long‑game mindset, these markets hold serious upside." Although the big in‑ ternational breakthrough may still be a while off for East Bridge, the company certainly aims at do‑ ing its part in helping build a sustainable future for Malawi's tobacco sector. B2B Tobacco Processing Based in Brazil's state of Rio Grande do Sul, which together with neighboring Santa Catarina forms the country's tobacco‑growing heartland, B2B Tobacco Processing only began operations in De‑ cember 2023. Marcelo Marques, the outfit's gener‑ al manager emphasized integrity, quality, and long‑ term partnerships with farmers and buyers alike as the company philosophy's main pillars. "We have been celebrating only our second operational anni‑ versary in December 2025," Marques pointed out, "and as a 100% Brazilian company are handling everything related to cigarette support, including rag and hand strips." Responding to AFUBRA crop estimate A recent report from AFUBRA, the Brazilian To‑ bacco Growers Association, predicted a 4.35% overall decline in the 2025/26 harvest season. But Marques believes the shortage may be closer to 5–10%, particularly affecting burley. "Burley is suffering in the market here," he notes. Yet he reassures buyers, importers, and manufacturers anywhere in the world that they don't need to be overly nervous. "Honestly, I don't think anybody needs to panic. There will be enough tobacco to go around for everyone." Not impossible to get, just a little harder to find Brazil mainly produces FCV, with burley as a sec‑ ond‑tier crop. "The virginia crop will be almost the same in volume and quality [as last season]," Marques assured, and despite hail damage that af‑ fected some growing regions in the second half of

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