World Food Program says consulted Malawi govt on importation of Tanzanian maize flour

Officials from World Food Program (WFP) say they consulted the government of Malawians officials before importing maize flour from Tanzanian to be distributed to hunger stricken Malawians.

This comes following the government decision to ban maize from Tanzania because of the outbreak of a lethal virus which attacks maize called maize lethal virus.

World Food Program (WFP) Deputy Country Director for Malawi, Simon Denhere, says in a statement the decision to import the maize flour into Malawi and not grain was made following an agreement with the ministry of Agriculture on January 4, 2024.

“Contrary to speculations, there is no indication of a lethal virus associated with the maize flour being imported.

“The WFP adheres to strict quality control measures to guarantee the safety of the food items distributed to those in need,” says Denhere.

He says any suggestion of contamination is unfounded and should be treated as misinformation.

Until December 31st 2023, discussions between the World Bank and the Malawi government centred around importation of maize for which the bank has committed $20m from the AGCOM 2, a loan to the Malawi government.

There were concerns on the government side about the risk of transmission of the maize lethal virus and suggestions that there was adequate maize in the country which could be bought from traders for purposes of alleviating the suffering of vulnerable Malawians.

But Denhere says: “Furthermore, assertions that the importation is a result of concerns over unscrupulous local politicians and businessmen hoarding maize from small-scale farmers for exorbitant resale are without merit.

The procurement process is transparent and follows established guidelines to ensure that the assistance reaches those who need it most.”