Admarc sells ‘rotten’ maize
Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) has said it sold all the 12 304 metric tonnes (MT) of maize which was at first declared “not fit for consumption” last year.
Admarc spokesperson Agnes Ndovi confirmed this in an interview yesterday, saying the decision to dispose off the maize followed a second opinion from Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) which had certified that there would be no harm if the maize was consumed.
She said: “The outcome of the second opinion certified the 12 304 MT fit for human consumption. This maize was distributed and sold through Admarc outlets across the country.
“Admarc has vast experience in grain management and quality control and, therefore, wishes to assure the public that quality assurance is our priority.”
In a separate interview, MBS director-general Bernard Thole also confirmed that his office carried out the second assessment.
The maize was part of the 63 041MT that the parastatal used as collateral for an NBS plc loan.
Meanwhile, Ndovi has also confirmed that Admarc has about 800 bags of discoloured maize at Likoma and Chizimulu islands.
Chizumulu Island ward councillor Barnabas Sambamo said the situation was unfortunate.
“Admarc has to ensure that they check all the stocks. We have challenges in terms of bringing maize to the islands and we cannot afford to have some maize going bad,” he said.
Ndovi said they have instituted internal audits to ensure that all such stock is gotten rid of.
