Karonga people reduced to herbivores: Bag of maize up to K13, 500

Karonga has become a living hell for her citizens following a painful raise in maize prices from about K6 000 per K50 kilogram bag to K13 500 – a development that has been described as “disaster.”

Starving people looking for maize
Starving people looking for maize
In search for food
In search for food

The raise has come amid assurances from the government that the country has in its reserves enough food in stock to last until the next harvesting season – around April.

On the contrary, people in Karonga have literally no food; and, according to those that spoke to Nyasa Times they have “resorted to natural vegetables” instead of staple nsima or rice.

Senior Chief of Wasambo of Karonga disclosed that most of his subjects “especially those whose pockets cannot afford to buy maize to from vendors are surviving on Bonongwe (Amaranthus/Bonongwe) and mushrooms.”

Said Wasambo: “Hunger is indeed biting. And this is because of shortage of maize in our ADMARC depots.”

Nyasa Times understands that for weeks now the ADMARC depot in the district has been non-operational. There is reportedly no maize.

Karonga district council vice chairperson, Ernest Mwalughali, has since asked stakeholders to take immediate action.

He said all depots had been closed “for no reason and without explanation.”

Vincent Ghambi, Member of Parliament (MP) for Karonga North and deputy education minister, much as admitting the problem was quick to say that the problem was transportation to get the maize to the depots.

“Our ADMARC depots are really empty but this doesn’t mean that the country has no maize.

“I’ve been talking to ADMARC officials at the headquarters and they have told me that the problem is transport,” said Ghambi.

Over 2.8 million Malawian are food insecure currently, according to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac) but the threat of El Nino which is hitting southern Africa has heightened fears that many more will join the long list in need of food aid.

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Jackson Kamanga
Jackson Kamanga
8 years ago

nosense comments does not bring the nation together,if you dont have idea on the issues then is better to remain silent rather than talking nonsense. Hunger is everywhere expecially during these first months of the yearand in other ARDMACs but the question might be if the government can fail to transport maize to its citizen who can be responsible but if someone have food in his house then he or she should mock others who does not have now. What is ADMARC for if not to provide to the citizens in such times?

master
master
8 years ago

November rain,
yes Paul Kagame is a secondary school graduate not even a university graduate but he is doing very on governance and development, the equivalence of MSCE thats his certificate basi koma he is shining far much better than most PHD holders

VYOTO
VYOTO
8 years ago

WHAT A NONSENSE RESPONSE FROM HONOURABLE NGA’MBI.TRANSPORT CANNOT BE A CONVINCING EXCUSE FOR LACK OF MAIZE IN ADMARC DEPORTS AT A CRITICAL TIME SUCH AS THIS ONE.THESE ARE SIGNS THAT PETER MUTHALIKA HAS FAILED TO RUN GOVERNMENT,THE BEST HE CAN DO IS TO STEP DOWN,SURELY, DR CHAKWERA CAN DO BETTER.

mapwevupwevu
mapwevupwevu
8 years ago

Kodi mungoti ADMARC! ADMARC! chani? Munamva kuti admarc ili ndi minda yolimamo chimanga? Inu chanu chomwe munalima chili kuti? Ku Karonga nyanja ili pafupi bwanji osamathilira minda? Ndipo mmeesa anthu a ku Karonga mumadzitama kuti mumadya mpunga ndi kondowole osamatafuna zomwezo bwanji?
Zopusa basi! Ndisamvenso wina akukamba zoti ku Admarc kulibe chimanga! Admarc inatha kalekale. Mumati subsidy amakupatsabi ija ntchito yache ndi chani?
Zilimani zokudya zanu abakha osamva inu!!!!

Peter Mathanyula
8 years ago

Tangodipatsani one ton ya chimanga ndi atengere anthu ku Karonga pa Peugeot pick up yanga, free of churge. I do not want people to die of hunger otherwise ingovomerani kuti chimanga mulibe mu admarc, a dpp munakapereka ku chipatala. Boma lakukanikani anthu akummwera.

Chiswabumbu
Chiswabumbu
8 years ago

Kaguleni ku Tanzania

Ernest
8 years ago

Zanvekanso kuti ena akumachita ganyu kwa ma venda kumawagulira chimanga. Ndikumapangitsa kuti mizere idzikhala yitaliyitali.

alhomwe ALHOMWE
alhomwe ALHOMWE
8 years ago

ATUMBUKA NDI ACHEWA NONSE MUNYA MUONA. SITITUMIZA CHIMANGA KU MA ADMARC DEPOTS AMENE ALI KU MPOTO NDI PAKATI. TIKUFUNA MUFE NDI NJALA KUTI IKAMAKWANA 2019 KUZAKHALE MAVOTI OCHEPA CHABE KUMPOTO NDI PAKATI. TAMUUZA KALE MULUMBE BWANA WA KU ADMARC ZOTI ACHITE.

CHIMANGA MUMAGULITSA KU TANZANIA NOKHA. MUSOVA!!!

Tengupenya
Tengupenya
8 years ago

Simply unacceptable. Transport cannot be the reason to let people starve. This is negligence!

MRS MAUNJE,
MRS MAUNJE,
8 years ago

ANGOUTHAWATU MPANDO WAMULEPHERA,TIONE ZINA.

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