Govt to engage Illovo in maize production to avert persistent food shortages in Malawi
Finance minister Goodall Gondwe says government will engage Illovo Sugar Company for maize production on its large land.
Gondwe said this in parliament as members of parliament were increasingly concerned because of food shortages in the country and the impending drought next year.
Most of the legislators said although the government promised relief food for starving Malawians, the distribution exercise has not yet started, saying some starving Malawians are living on mangoes which they said are now coming off season.
Gondwe said the government knows the situation is dire and would speed up the distribution exercise of relief maize and other food items.
He also said as a long time plan, the government is engaging Illovo on maize contract farming to avert food shortages in future.
Gondwe said this year the government has imported 33000 metric tonnes of maize and bought locally another 22000 metric tonnes which he said should e enough.
However, Salima south east MP Jessie Kabwila wondered why the government wanted to engage Illovo now when Leader of Opposition Lazarus Chakwera advised the government on the same in May.
Lilongwe Msozi South MP Vitus Dzoole Mwale asked the government to declare Malawi state of disaster due to the severe food shortages that has hit all parts of the country and faulted the government for its handling of the issue.
On FISP, Gondwe said the programme was this year riddled with problems because, among other things, government owed suppliers K155 billion in arrears for seed during last year’s programme.
He said the government then promised to fund this year’s seed component of the programme but there were logistical delays.
Why not engage commercial farmers whose estates have been idle for the past few years?
Nonetheless this js a step in the right direction.
We cannot subsidise subsistence farming.
Mwachaje, I really don’t see any relevance with population data. The 80s policies are still relevant but tailored to each successive period accordingly. You mean we should tolerate poverty, hunger, diseases, etc just because the population has increased. What a stupid way of thinking?
Why don’t you give us the gdp figures or income or expenditures as well for the same periods?
What is your message? Condoning this govt failures by blaming population increase?
I thought we sent the State Vice President to Israel to have a grimpse of what Israel is doing its irrigation? What has that trip benefited the Malawi nation? Or the report from Dr/ Mr S Chilima is not ready?
Jessie said Chakwera said this sometime ago. If you suggest to a man to marry a lady and the man does what you have suggested, you would be stupid to feel high as if it is you who has married the lady. If he doesn’t marry the lady, you would as well be stupid to feel sad and think you are a failure! An advice or suggestion can be or cannot be taken. So Jessie you have scored a zero on this one.
Here are Malawi population figures from 1960 to 2015 to give a background to this discussion.
1960—3,525,127
1970— 4,529,749
1980— 6,236,824
1990— 9,447,123
2000— 11,321,500
2010— 15,013,690
2013—- 16,362,570
2015—- 17,653,786
Now tell us whether or not the policies during the eighties are still relevant in 2015.
Kkkkkk. But the background information is not enough make any meaningful discussion here let alone we don’t know what policies they are being talked about.
Kamuzu once said “Democracy is war” to many of us we understood dis in a distorted way we thought Malawi wl be another Mozambique.Its only now we r realising de war he meant was of making crucial decision at a crucial time which has been lacking in our leaders since de dawn of multiparty.De results are perennial hung and poverty which in turn is killing many dis is de war which Kamuzu mean when he said it way back in 1993 at a Balaka rally!
Otembo onanena kale zimenezi kuti onthomene mukuwapatsa sabuside sothandiza kuti chakudya chichuluke. Nchifukwa onkati tiike yunivesosabuside.tudziwa kuti ndalama kulibe koma bola ngati khobidi lachepa kupatsa alimi akuluakulu kuti alime ncholinga choti chimanga chizipezeka. Amene olandila sabuside pano ndamenenso azifuna chimanga chaulele nde sabuside igwila ntchito yanji?
Koma Jessie Kabwila is really stupid!
There is always a price to pay for electing into leadership positions people who are dull and daft just because they belong to your preferred tribe or region. We will continue to pay a price
Malawi shud learn that there a big difference bwn interegent and wisdom there4 we r fond fo choosing the so called profers.bt no wisdom at all.Failing to manage hunger.visite the Bible if u may find an interegent king, they are all wise kings