President Joyce Banda has ordered the immediate delinking of Agricultural Research and Extension Trust (Aret) from Lilongwe University of Agriculture, and Natural Resources (Luanar).

Tobacco Association of Malawi (Tama) has for a long time called for the detachment of Aret from the merger of Bunda College of Agriculture and Natural Resources College, which came into effect in 2011.

Speaking at the opening of Tama's 24th Congress in Lilongwe Thursday, Banda said the government had no business tampering with Aret, when it is funded by Tama, an association of tobacco farmers in Malawi.

"As far as I am concerned, Aret is funded by levy sales of tobacco and tobacco farmers should have been consulted. But most didn't know. Since it was manmade, it will be disbanded," Banda said.

She asked that the next sitting of Parliament, a bill should be tabled to delink Aret from Luanar.

"Had I known this matter in April, it would have been among the first priorities. It is a simple matter, consider it done," Banda said.

Earlier, Tama president Reuben Maigwa said the usurping of Aret from Tama was the greatest anomaly to be done by the former government which was met with a lot of resistance from farmers.

"The conclusion that was sadly made was that we were perhaps talking to a regime that was not willing to listen to alternative views and we almost resorted to seeking a court injunction and going for arbitration," he disclosed.

Tama had argued that Luanar could not effectively utilise Aret whose main objectives are to provide extension services and research on new methods of tobacco farming.

The government established Luanar with the mandate of providing quality tertiary education, training and research in agriculture and natural resources.

Meanwhile, the president also ordered a strict control of the formation of a tobacco growers association after Tama expressed concern that tobacco buyers are growing tobacco as well.