Mutharika intervenes on Pigeon Peas trade: Aim to protect Nandolo farmers
In a surprise move, President Arthur Peter Mutharika has stepped in to regulate trading for Pigeon Peas (Nandolo) by directing a farm gate price of K230 through the government’s grain trader, Admarc.
Secretary for Industry, Trade and Tourism Dr Ken Ndala said in a statement the Presidential directive aims to protect farmers from below the recommended price.
The measure comes into effect immediately.
“The government is urging general publc and all Nandolo farmers to sell at nearest Admarc Market depot and refrain from selling the crop to unscrupulous traders buying below the government’s recommended price,” said Ndala.
The PS said government is committed to continue supporting pigeon pea farmers to boost their income and general welfare.
“Government will also continue to support the growing of Nandolo to enhance the national diversification agenda,” he said.
Local subsistence farmers sell their pigeon peas to Asian traders in Limbe and Lilongwe who in turn export to South Africa and Tanzania where the legume is either re-traded with Europe and Asia for production of animal feed, spiced snacks and fertilizers.
Asian merchants are notorious for distorting the local market value of pigeon peas as they source it through intermediaries who buy from growers in bulk at a lower price.
This is the first time for the president to intervene on farm gate price of a grain commodity that is not essential to both food security and export revenue strengthening measures of government. India is the world’s major producer of the peas. Malawi’s major export commodity is tobacco, while maize is her staple grain.
Production and marketing of tobacco and maize have a huge impact on Malawi economy as they dictate inflation and foreign exchange flows to the land-locked country.
So this man will be copying and pasting what Chilima says at his rallies? He is very desperate for votes indeed. This decision has popped up after a UTM rally in Mulanje. Peter Mutharika is gripping with fear of losing the election hence his hasty decisions. Where was he all this time? Is he telling me that he doesn’t understand localized problems faced by farmers in respective districts? Munthu uyu ndimutchonadi eti? Please leave government in capable hands, Malawi needs transformation.
We can’t be lagging behind poor countries like Rwanda with limited resources and war background. Malawi is a country with vast potential to experience prosperity and Chilima has demonstrated that he can take the country to greater heights.What he says speaks volumes of a leader who cares for his country and has vision that can make Malawi have industrial prowess and pride.
It is so easy to develop Malawi. Each district has its own crops or minerals which means that relevant factories for value addition have to be set up in order to produce products for both domestic consumption and exportation. Emphasis has to be placed on setting up of domestic or indegenous companies. No country develops fast with foreign companies. The DPP, through its Investment Forums, seems too obsessed with foreign investments. Foreign investors have an indirect form of colonization and impede real development. Empowering local firms should be a priority because they can keep export proceeds in the country thereby expanding Malawi’s GDP.
What Chilima says augers well with empowerment of Malawians who can create jobs for fellow Malawians which means more savings and more development. South Korea is a very good example of a country that graduated from poverty to prosperity after empowering its local companies that got competitive in exporting products on the world market. Today, South Korea has big name companies like LG, Samsung, Kunho tires, Hankook tires, Daewoo, Kia, Posco, SK Corp, Hyundai to name just a few. It achieved all this due to transformational leadership that aspired to put Korea on the map as one of the industrial powers of the world. Protectionism played a big role in order for South Korea to achieve consistent growth.
SKC is really making people run for their money………. APM and his cronies are reacting to everything Chilima says or does kikikikikkiki!
And some asians who were buying nandolo from local farmers have started peas farming too,,,they must be bared from doing peas farming,,its a hijack
Don’t comment if you don’t know these things. Even in India where Malawi has been exporting pigeon peas for years, the Government buys the local pigeon peas at a minimum support price. In other words government buys the crop from the farmers in order to maintain their socioeconomic welfare. Ndiye palibe chachilendo apa. Bravo Government
A very good move my brother, keep it up
BOMA ILOOOOOOOO!!!!!!1
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Why only Nandolo, what about my groundnuts Mchinji,help us all Mr President
Any idea where Nandolo is mostly grown? Mulanje.
Amwenye traders are at the front of cheating Malawian nandolo growers. Great move APM. Sanity will prevail in the trade of this commodity.
Too late, people already sold there nandolo.. Were you all this time.
Patricia kaliati lamented about low price
Asian traders distort the price? Come on be serious it is free market anyone can buy nandolo. Indian govt banned nandolo that’s why there’s no market since last year but they come to malawi and promise to buy before that and encourage everyone to produce more. Why not talk to them instead of blaming ma traders? What will admarc do with nandolo? Don’t we have other priorities than buying nandolo? World bank has pulled funding but we have money for this?
Waste of money. Where is ADMARC going to sell the crop. Dont make decisions in a Harry just to woo votes. It will have negative impact to our economy when the crop starts to rot in stores. Implement plans there were made not jst waking up today and say zolumbwalumbwa
Why only nandolo and not soy beans, maize or groundnuts . Just becuase it’s the crop grown in the LOMWE belt?. . These things are better managed using government policies and not presidential whims or directives. Of all people mutharika should know about this basic fundamental requirement. Ndiye tikamapereka advice my followers a DPP ngati Noxy, Lilian , hard truth and few of their likes mumati tikukunyoza. The bottom line is that your Peter mutharika for once should learn that issues of these nature need to handled using conventional means and as opposed gorilla kind of approach. It simply does not work. Mutharika seriously is something else .
Chilima wayambadi kale kulamulira dzikoli coz apumbwa ayamba kupanga zimene akumanena ASK kumisonkhano yake. Neba watha ma plan
Ndithawi ya campaign iyi, manga atani muthu akufuna mavoti
A useless president who is now simply radioactive and reacting to everything…purely gripped by fear
That’s a very good development because the price for nandolo was very pathetic. The price went down to as far as MK40.00 per kg. However, let’s hope the admarc has set aside enough money to buy the nandolo which is piling idle in the villages. And also politicians must give room to those farmer with the product sell without favouritism
@ chekachingwe
Chimwene admark Igule nandolo ipita naye kuti?. And where will admark get money to buy nandolo.?. India was the only country that was buying nandolo but that stopped a couple of years ago. My candid advice to you is that taking mutharika seriously will surely lead to lots and lots of heartbreaks for you. He has very poor grip and understanding of issues. Sorry I just have to call a spade by its name and not what it is not.
Chilima is doing a very good job, he is making Peter run up and down, very reactive govt here, once Chilima decides to tackle an issue answers start coming, Peter has woken from his slumber to realise that the boy is serious and can make the impossible possible