Mzuzu Selling Floors

Mzuzu Auction Floors is the main Northern Region primary trading hub for tobacco farmers across the northern region districts. The floor was built to serve the northern region agricultural zone to reduce transport distances for northern region farmers who previously had to haul their crop long distances to central markets.

The floor was opened in 1996, becoming the third official selling floor in the national system following Limbe (1970) and Lilongwe (1979). This expansion was driven by a steady surge in regional tobacco production, creating the necessity for a dedicated, modern trading platform right in the heart of the North.

The primary leaf types sold at Mzuzu are Burley tobacco and Northern Dark-Fired (NDF) cured tobacco. The facility provides complete trading infrastructure to support both traditional open-cry auction sales and contract tobacco farming transfers, bringing together growers, regulatory officials, and major international buying companies under one roof.

The Mzuzu floor consistently opens later in the tobacco selling season compared to its southern and central counterparts. This schedule accommodates the localized harvesting, curing, and drying cycles of the Northern Region, ensuring leaf reaches optimal moisture and quality standards before going on the market floor. Today, as part of the AHL Tobacco Sales Limited network, Mzuzu continues to play a fundamental role in sustaining the economic livelihood of northern farming communities.