Maize prices up by 127% as ADMARC depots opens Monday
Malawians should expect both good and bad moments come Monday 24 October 2016 following the directive by President Arthur Peter Mutharika that Admarc markets across the country be opened.
The good news is obviously that Malawians will find it easy interms of distance to access the staple food as about 1,200 Admarc selling points are expected to be opened but the bad part is that the maize price has been hiked.
A 50 kilogram bag which was last year during the same period sold at K5,500 will be selling at K12,500 representing about a 127% increase.
This means that a single kilogram is going at K250.00.
Commenting on the current food situation after returning from United States of America (USA) where he went to attend a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) congress, President Mutharika assured Malawians that everything is under control and that there is enough
maize in stock and that the government is yet to purchase more.
“I wish to assure all Malawians that that we have enough food both for humanitarian and commercial purposes,” said Mutharika.
Mutharika said the Food Insecurity Plan launched three months ago aiming at curbing hunger is on course.
He said according to the current situation, Malawi not only need Maize but also Super Cereals, Pulses and Oils among others to be provided to
over 6.5 million starving Malawians.
The Malawi leader said his government is assured of 274,106 Metric Tonnes (MT) of cereals against estimated 262,500 MT.
He revealed that there are over 90,000 MT of maize at National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA).
The government is receiving support from various international humanitarian bodies including United Satates Agency for International
Development (USAID), World Bank through the World Food Programme (WFP).
Meanwhile, About 100,000 tonnes of maize are already in stock at various Admarc selling points ready for sale out of the required
400,000 metric tonnes.
The government is yet to purchase the remaining 300,000 tones from Zambia, Brazil, and Romania and the negotiations already took place.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
I wonder how much is the gov going to pay a 50kgs from brazil and Romania For a fact it’s going to be more than mk12.500 and the reality is it will cost us triple because to hire a plane from brazil to bring maize to Malawi it will cost millions of kwacha instead of putting that money in subside of fertilize you bloody politicians always gumbering with people’s life you make me sick
Mr. Phiri,
You’ve a good point. However, we need to separate between short term and long term solutions. People need food now, and you say the money meant for the purchase of the maize should have been best put to production for next year’s production.. I’m not even sure if the current situation (food insecurity) is significantly due to the fact that farmers couldn’t afford farm inputs hence need for greater subsidies.
Cholinga cha Parastatal ndikuti amalawi asavutike apedze zinthu mosavuta komanso mosika mtengo..funso langa ndiloti kodi boma likatigulitsa chimanga pa mtengo wa K12500 pamene vendor akutigulitsa K11000-K12000 ndiye kuti boma likutikonda pamenepa??? kodi munthu wosauka akwanisa kugula??Ngati sakwanisa kugula safa ndi njala??Ine ndi wa DPP koma this is too much.
Ndalama koma kuonongera zinthu zosafunikira, mmalo moyang’ana kuti kodi masiku anowa tingachite bwanji pa ulimi mmene mvula ikubwelera masiku anowa? Ayi ndithu, what do the policians do with the tax money? kumakaonongera kunja!!
The government will spend more money on importing maize than if it had subsidized fertilizer for the farmers to produce enough of their own. the government would only be focusing districts which were affected by drought.
Thanks ADMARC nobody expected it to be below K10000 so ameneyo sali ku Malawi konkuno
stupid comment. ambuya ako adya?
If the vendors are selling at K11,500,why always on the defensive,can’t you be on the offensive?be humane,be human for once in your life,I think you even refuse that you were born of a woman.