JB orders Malawi borders sealed to stop illegal maize exports
Malawi President Joyce Banda has ordered police and the Ministry of Agriculture to seal all borders to stop maize exports following reports that the commodity is being taken out of country through Karonga to neibhouring countries like Tanzania and Kenya.
The calls comes after CCAP Synod of Livingstonia General Secretary Reverend Levi Nyondo during during silver jubilee celebrations of Katawa CCAP church in the northern city of Mzuzu called on government to address the smuggling of maize to neighbouring countries.
He wondered how some people in the country smuggle maize to other countries yet the country has security checkpoints where it can be stopped.
But speaking when she visited the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to appreciate the levels of maize at the silos, President Banda called for security services to seal the borders.
“I have therefore with immediate effect ordered that the Police and the Ministry of Agriculture check and seal our borders against these illegal exports,” said the Malaiw leader.
She said that her visit to NFRA came after “hearing reports that there is no maize in most Admarc depots countrywide.”
Banda said more than two million people countrywide were facing food shortages and it didn’t make sense for them to suffer because some unscrupulous individuals were illegally exporting maize.
“Malawians should not suffer when the Farm Input Subsidy Programme was made available for them to achieve food security.”
