Admarc to start buying maize, other crops

State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) says it will this month start buying maize at its depots in the Southern Region.

Admarc chief executive officer Dan Makata said in an interview on Tuesday that the markets will open on different dates this month.

And in a statement released yesterday, Admarc said the corporation has received funding from the government and K22 billion has been set aside for procurement of 33 846 metric tonnes (MT) of maize at K650 per kilogramme and other crops.

It reads in part: “Crop purchases will commence in the southern and some parts of the Central Region where crops are ready for the market, then move into the northern region.

“Crops targeted immediately are maize, soya beans, paddy rice and beans.”

Admarc further said the buying prices will be based on the government approved farm gate prices the Ministry of Agriculture set in April this year.

Government set maize price at K650 per kg, soya beans at K800 per kg, paddy rice at K650 per kg and beans at K1 200 per kg.

Recently, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale said the government further expects about 35 000MT of maize to be realised from 200 megafarms it has supported in the 2023/24 growing season.

He said the government, through the Megafarms Support Unit, engaged 200 mega farmers nationwide who are expected to produce 30 000 to 35 000MT of maize.

President Lazarus Chakwera in March declared a State of Disaster in 23 of the country’s 28 districts following the impact of El Nino.

About two million farming households require food support.

To support the affected households, the country needs 600 000 metric tonnes of maize estimated to cost K357 billion.