Tobacco in Africa

Uganda’s tobacco sector, a legacy of colonial cash crops, produced over 32,000 metric tons of leaf in 2022, making it a significant player in East African agriculture. Understanding this market provides insight into the global tobacco landscape and the diverse origins of the leaf. Key Takeaways Uganda’s tobacco industry is rooted in 1927 contract farming. Flue-cured Virginia, Burley, and dark fire-cured are the main types. The Tobacco Control Act, 2015, strictly regulates production. Ugandan leaf is primarily for cigarettes, not premium cigars. Executive Summary Uganda’s tobacco industry is a long-standing agricultural sector, with commercial cultivation beginning in 1927. It has grown to become a significant export industry, producing 32,965 metric tons of tobacco leaf in 2022 according to the Tobacco Atlas. The sector is dominated by approximately 75,000 smallholder farmers operating under contract-growing schemes as detailed by ASCO Publications. These

Tobacco in Kenya: Colonial Roots, Smallholder Debt, and the 2040 Phase-Out

Kenya’s tobacco story begins with colonial ambition and ends, for now, with 55,000 smallholder farmers who earn less from the crop than it costs them to grow. Understanding how that happened — and why Kenya never developed cigar-grade leaf despite the soil conditions to try — tells you something useful about how the global tobacco market actually works. Key Takeaways Kenya’s tobacco farming began in 1907 under British colonial administration — the same year Churchill toured the region as Under-Secretary of the Colonies. Cultivation is concentrated in Nyanza and Western provinces; Migori County produces around 70% of national output. The primary variety is flue-cured Virginia (Bright leaf), grown exclusively for cigarette manufacture — no cigar-grade leaf is commercially produced. Around 55,000 smallholders farm under contract schemes that lock them into selling their crop to the same company that extended their

Tobacco in Africa

Tobacco in Africa

Tobacco in Kenya: Colonial Roots, Smallholder Debt, and the 2040 Phase-Out

Download the Cigar Emperor 2025 Catalogue

Download the Cigar Emperor
2025 Catalogue