According to the World Bank, tobacco accounts
for around 60 percent of Malawi's exports, and the floods come
as the impoverished southern African country struggles to woo
back donors who have withheld funds over governance concerns.
"We are still assessing how much damage has been caused by the
heavy rains on tobacco but I can safely say that many fields
have been washed away and the impact on the economy is obvious
because tobacco is our main forex earner," Bruce Munthali, the
Tobacco Control Commission's chief executive, told Reuters.
There are also worries about the staple maize crop which feeds
the nation. Last year, Malawi's farmers harvested 3.9 million
tonnes of maize, providing a surplus of almost one million
tonnes.
President Peter Mutharika was scheduled to make a televised
address at 1800 local time (1600 GMT) about the situation.
(Editing by Ed Stoddard and James Macharia)
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