Malawi to import maize from Tanzania to avert hunger: Zambian maize ready for distribution to Admarc depots
Malawi will import 50,000 tonnes of the staple maize from Tanzania to avert hunger after a drought that affected 2.8 million people in the southern African nation, state officials said on Monday.
Agriculture is Malawi’s mainstay, accounting for a third of the economy and providing livelihoods for 80 percent of the population of about 15 million people.
“With the 30,000 tonnes coming in from Zambia, we expect to add on another 50,000 tonnes from Tanzania that we have authorised (state-owned grain marketing company) ADMARC to import,” Erica Maganga, the principal secretary in the ministry of agriculture told Reuters.
The United Nations World Food Programme this month extended the harvest period by another month to April because annual harvests will be delayed by the El Nino related drought. The lean period usually ends in March when farmers start harvesting.
The WFP said last week that Malawi needs $38 million to help the most vulnerable during the extended lean period.
But Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe told parliament last week that the 30,000 tonnes from neighbouring Zambia and the 50,000 to be imported from Tanzania will be enough to feed the affected population.
Meanwhile, Admarc chief executive officer Foster Mulumbe has said more maize will be available in most of its depots this week following the purchase of 30 000 metric tonnes of the grain from Zambia.
Mulumbe told journalists on Friday at Mwami Border Post in Mchinji when Admarc and government officials took delivery of 70 truck-loads of maizet hat the staple grain is expected to ease shortages being experienced in most parts of the country.
He said as of Friday, about 1 000 tonnes of maize was ready for distribution to Admarc depots.
According to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac) report, about 20 percent the population (about 2.8 million) are food insecure in 25 of the country’s 28 districts.–Additional reporting by Wanga Gwede, Nyasa Times
How much fund and effort does Malawi government allocated for agriculture sector or for food and management programs within its budgets? Hunger or drought no matter how severe can not prevented or avoided by just predictions ( even if we can posses such abilities to prophecy) but by planning ahead. A good governing board should prepare for a tragedy or any catastrophic event even if there is no sign of it coming. This is what Malawi government is lacking, there is such a huge defect in both agriculture sector and food management. It is pointless to point all fingers to… Read more »
We are importing our own maize that left the country for Tanzania during harvest time. We need to protect maize as a special crop necessary for our survival and put in measures to reduce willy-nilly export of the crop during harvesting time. We need ADMARC to revert back to FMB so that farmers have a say on maize purchasing and selling within their localities. Maize prices should be high enough to reward farmers and not protecting consumers. Such a situation will encourage maize production even when the odds are against us such as the weather this year. Farmers close to… Read more »
Maliseni, I don’t think importing maize from another hunger stricken country is as easy as ABC. It takes time, funds, negotiations amongst other things.
Master, perhaps Admarc did have stock at the time the statement was made, and it had been depleted. After all, resources do get depleted, right?
Ade, it all depends on how affected each country was by the climate change. Zimbabwe and Malawi were most affected.
My fellow Malawians, we need to be remind that its the disciplined society that attain meaningful development. Calling our leaders bad names, only shows that we are a rotten society and good for nothing. Its high time, we need to change our mind set and respect our leaders. Things are easily said, than done. Our leaders are trying their best, Almighty God should continue bless them and give them good health!
Too much too late and no thanks pano tayamba kutola mphonda ndi maungu what were you waiting for you dphiphi are you afraid of demo.anyway you have failed
Tanzania now is a friend,yesterday it was accused of taking Lake Nyasa from Malawi.Comeon Malawians,wash your faces do not be misled by an impositor and misguided lunatic he is in our country to destroy it for his own selfish ends.He has no friends among his neighbours apart from a dying beast incarnate Robert Mugabe.The lake is not an issue that you can dwell on,it has been there,it is there and it will be there until the end of the world.It is an African as well as for humanity.We have thousands of Malawians fishing on lakes in Zambia and Tanzania freely,but… Read more »
This is nosence! What were you waiting for? The budget was passed in June last year! Malawi is being ruled by crooks, looters and killers! Had it been that the hunger was not of high magnitude, the whole funds allocated to procure maize was going into someones pocket, shame!
Chimanga chinagulitsidwa ndi chipani chimene chimalamulira m’mbuyomo. Ndani sanaone Chimanga cholembedwa dzina la munthu n’kumati akudziwa kumene akuchitenga koma akuwonjora ku ma silos? And to day you have the audacity to question government that it doesn’t have any strategic planning, really?
“To import maize NOW to AVERT” the current hunger sounds like Malawi’s disaster preparedness strategies, if there are any, are ill-designed. This year for example, indicators clearly show that the yields will be low. Hopefully Government will not wait till March next year to import (let alone distribute) maize to AVERT hunger next year?
WHY IS IT THAT OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE MAIZE AND WE DO NOT HAVE?