Malawi govt diverts K5bn maize money to Nandolo: Admarc already bought 500 metric tonnes of pigeon peas
Members of parliament sitting on Agriculture committee of Parliament were shocked on Wednesday when they learnt that government diverted K5 billion which the House approved to buy maize was diverted to buy pigeon peas (Nandolo).
State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) general manager Margaret Roka Mauwa left tongues wagging when she said Admarc had already bought 500 metric tonnes of Nandolo when smallholder peasant farmers are complaining that Admarc officials are turning them away due to lack of money.
However, Mauwa insisted Admarc has bought the Nandolo from smallholder subsistence farmers.
“This program was meant to bail out smallholder farmers who lacked market,” she said, adding that Admarc will in turn sell the nandolo to public hospitals and schools at no profit.
She ruled out the notion that rich, influential and powerful businessmen are benefitting a lot from the scheme than the smallholder peasant farmers themselves.
Principal secretary in the ministry of Trade and Industry Ken Ndala said apart from the K5 billion maize allocation, government was also using the Unforeseen Circumstances vote money to buy nandolo.
He said at least 20, 000 metric tonnes of nandolo is expected to be bought by Admarc this year.
However, chairperson of the committee Joseph Chidanti Malunga said the committee is suspicious, saying the scheme might benefit a few powerful people.
He said committee members will soon be visiting Admarc depots for first-hand information on the Nandolo buying scheme.
Malawi day light robbery or should I call it slavery. Mulli instructed APM to block all exports for Nandolo for three years so that people can sell him at K20 per kg. Now he has told APM to buy it from him at K270 per kg. Enslaving our own people. Very sad indeed. Mulli will make more than K8 billion from this scheme plus K3 billion he received to support APM during the coming election. While Malawians will be starving in the villages with no money to buy maize and worst still no maize at all available in ADMARC. Mulli… Read more »
Times & Zodiak News please inform the nation about this news. People in the villages are opening up and knowing the hidden secrets happening in the country because of you! Share the news. Mabodza Broadcasting Coorporation (MBC) has become irrelevant to Malawians. It is only Pamajiga yomwe imamveleredwa ndi anthu
If they indeed bought it from peasant farmers then ADMARC should give details of specific markets that were used and amount of Nandolo bought, when the buying happened and so forth!! Once the above is provided the committee should verify the same with the mentioned markets!!
Chonde dzikoli ndi la tonse ndipo sibwino kuti azipindula anthu amodzimodziwo!! Chidanti and team, ntchitotu iyoooooooooooo!!
Chidanti just want to mint money. Where is his committee going to source money for his impromptu Admarc markets visitation? Admarc, make sure you do not finance them for their unregistered UTM activities.
Just go and audit the books and the truth will come out. It is a given fact that the K5billion will end up in the pockets of a few influential people who will then donate funds to DPP for the campaign. Honourable Chidanti-Malunga, please open your eyes and learn not to take submissions from Admarc seriously; they are renown for lack of integrity and only respond to their DPP masters. If indeed parliament approved K5b for the purchase of maize and the funds were disbursed to Admarc on that understanding then they can’t turn around and apply the same funds… Read more »
Mr Bright Msaka and fellow dpp party cohorts, trying to make easy money from poor taxpayers. This is criminal and you should be ashamed of it. Even the president is party to this nonsense??? Shame.
organised theft with Muli