Nandolo farmers threaten to hold demonstration

Scores of local Nandolo farmers are planning to march to the Ministry of Trade and Industry  to present a petition over concerns that State produce trader Admarc  is buying pigeon peas (Nandolo) from private traders and highly connected political individuals.

Chimbayo: Nandolo farmers cry foul at Admarc, to hold protests

Some local farmers invaded the residence of Nandolo Famers Association (NFAM) Chairperson Susan Chimbayo in Blantyre on Friday where they expressed concern that they are not benefiting from the new government prices of K230 per kg.

Chimbayo said in an interview with Nyasa Times that the local Nandolo farmers are not benefiting from the new prices which were set through a directive by President Peter Mutharika.

Government allocated a whopping K5 billion to Admarc to buy Nandolo from local farmers.

“These local farmers came to my house from as far as Phalombe, Thyolo, Luncheza, Thekerani, Mulanje to express their grievances and they have resorted to march to the Ministry of Trade to present their concerns and there is nothing that we can do but to support them,” said Chimbayo.

She said NFAM conducted a national verification exercise on the challenges being faced by Nandolo farmers and found out that indeed the local farmers are not benefiting from the new prices.

Chimbayo  said the results of the exercise were already communicated to the Ministry of Trade for their action last month but there has not been any action by government.

“Our findings were that most local Nandolo farmers still have got their Nandolo in their warehouses and when they go to Admarc to sell it, they are sidelined because Admarc is buying from private traders and others who are politically connected,” said Chimbayo.

She said they have tried to express their concerns to Admarc and the Ministry of Trade including Ministry of Agriculture but it has fallen on deaf ears.

“We have tried to set up meetings with government to discuss the plight of these farmers but government is not interested. It is sad that government is not interested in the plight of the local Nandolo farmers and only a few and well connected individuals are benefiting, leaving out the real people who should benefit,” said Chimbayo.

She said her organisation will not stop the farmers from marching because they are being treated unfairly.

Chimbayo also said Admarc acting chief executive officer Margaret Roka Mauwa refused to recognise NFAM, which speaks on behalf of Nandolo farmers, saying she is working on directives from government and do not recognise Nandolo Farmers Association and its associates.

“I spoke to Mrs. Mauwa on these issues and she blatantly told me that she cannot recognise Nandolo Farmers Association because she was working on directives from government,” said Chimbayo.

Vice-President Saulos Chilima, who is also leader of the United Transformation Movement (UTM), claimed during a recent political rally that some politicians and their cronies were the target beneficiaries of the presidential directive.

On September 26 this year, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture asked Admarc to disclose the source of the K5 billion allocated to the purchase of pigeon peas.

In response, Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development representatives, who also attended the meeting, said Admarc is buying pigeon peas outside the 2018/19 National Budget and that the ministry does not know where the corporation will get money for the procurement of the legumes from.

However, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe later said Admarc would repay the funds sourced from Unforeseen Circumstances Vote.

 

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mnamdutsamo
5 years ago

Karim Muntharika gate company
Susdiaries – Mullitha dziko la Malawi group of companies
Source – Misonkho ya a Malawi olira
Impact – poverty deep and severe to ordinary Malawians

Maliseche
Maliseche
5 years ago

Our only hope is that we all vote wisely in May! We have had enough of the Pumbwas

Fam
Fam
5 years ago
Reply to  Maliseche

I agree with you. We should vote wisely. No time for going back to Nyakula era of MCP or stupid and childish drunkards and swearing utm.

Akubatoto
Akubatoto
5 years ago

Nandolo politics! …….. 2019 vote wisely

Koseliwa
Koseliwa
5 years ago

Ku ma Admarc kuli ziphupu kuti mlimi agulitse nandolo😂😂

SITTING ON A MIRACLE / BREAK THROUGH
SITTING ON A MIRACLE / BREAK THROUGH
5 years ago

WHY DO YOU WANT TO MARCH /PROTEST TO CAPITAL HILL ALL
THE WAY FROM NGONGOLIWA /MULLI /MLHAKHO/MALISECHE DISTRICT ??
WHY COULDN’T YOU PROTEST
AT CHONDE WHEN YOU WERE SHOWING MALISECHE ??DANCING
MALISECHE ?? WE THOUGH LHOMWES ARE LIVING IN A
DIFFERENT WORLD ALTOGETHER? ?

Nandolo Farmer
Nandolo Farmer
5 years ago

This is UTM politics at play. Which association is this? Hehehe koma the devil will really be ashamed very soon. 2019 is too far. Malawians will speak very soon. Muzizinamiza choncho. UTM won’t even be on number 2. The battle is between the DPP and the MCP. These two parties will battle it out and you the bus company will be at least a distant third or fourth. UTM is too childish and Malawians know that. Let’s wait and see. Lero mwayamba kupanga ma association a fake amthumba omwe even the Nandolo farmers don’t know them. As a commercial Nandolo… Read more »

Class
Class
5 years ago

Who is a liar now? Chilima or DPP

Mulli said Chilima is a liar is it Because Mulli knows Nandolo wake wapeza kale msika.

Komatu DPP ikutiyenjexa.
Pano akuti sukulu fees athetsa , is this not another lie.

Inu anthu aku Mulanje, Thyolo etc mukuona nokha kuti anthuwa angofuna mavoti. Anthuwa kwawo ndi kuba.
Let Mulli and his friends vote for DPP.

Nawo a Goodall Gondwe mkumavomeleza zinthu ngati izi.

Another 5 billion mystery to be solved. ESCOM FUEL, 145 MILLION, 5 CARS 85 MILLION, ADMARC, MACRA, WATER BOARD……. .THE CORRUPTION B……..UNDER MATE…..IS DOING A GOOD JOB.

jojo
jojo
5 years ago

Ndizimenezotu mzamuvotereso 2019 , ngati sakukulabadirani inuyo athu akuchigawo chake ndipo nkhalamba imeneyi ilibe chisoni, ndi galu uyu mumati Mulli, alibe ndi chifundo chomwe mumene athu athu akwawo kuthyolo, Mulanje, chirazulu akuzunzikira ndi umphawi, basi mawa muli alomwe alomwe kkkkkkkkkkkkk koma mawa mkukagona ndi njala kuti athu mgulise nandolo akuti inu ayi koma mulliyu inu mawa muli tivotera alomwewa kkkkkkkkkk mbuzi za alomwe PITALA MUTHALIKA MALISECHE A ATHU KU MALAWI.

sato
sato
5 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Kumvetsa chisoni Amalawi kuzindikira kumafika nkwangwa ili mmutu

Martin
Martin
5 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Komanso a jojo ndiye mumadziwa kulalata negative mzimayi.

BigMan
BigMan
5 years ago

The entire DPP Cabinet is now selling Nandolo, especially Msaka who is swimming in admarc money now.

Mulomwe
Mulomwe
5 years ago

This exactly what SKC said. The Nandolo directive by the chief thief Zampeter Mutharikarim** was a con, meant to be a conduit for further looting of our taxes. DPP sinking to the lowest…

** Zampeter Mutharikarim is a new term to define hideous and shameless thieves, who have been stealing taxes in the beautiful nation of Malawi. Source: Mutharika, P., Karim, Z. (2018), “How to loot taxes: the DPP story”, Journal of DPP Thieves, volume 1, issue 1 , pp 1.

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