Ministry officials lobby parliament to push Treasury release funds for maize purchase

Officials from the ministry of Agriculture have asked the parliamentary committee on agriculture to push for Treasury release K9 billion for the purchase of maize.

PS for agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Gray Nyandule Phiri

Principal secretary in the ministry Grey Nyandule-Phiri led the ministry team when they met committee members Tuesday at parliament building in Lilongwe.

Nyandule-Phiri said there was need for Treasury to release the money to the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), which manages the Strategic Grain Reserves (SGR).

“There is also need for additional funds for the purchase of maize considering that more people than anticipated will be hit by the hunger,” said Nyandule-Phiri.

In the 2019/20 budget, parliament approved the allocation of K10 billion for the purchase of maize but Treasury has released only K1 billion.

Currently, NFRA has in stock only 25 000 metric tonnes (MT).

Maize is an important crop to the country, and as part of food, contributes about 45.2 percent to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), an aggregate basket for computing inflation.

The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee analysis conducted between June and July 2019, showed that about 1.1 million people will face food insecurity as the country enters the lean period from October 2019 to March 2020.

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Justice Usiwa
Justice Usiwa
4 years ago

But busy telling people to take Maize to ADMARC yet monies are not ready

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