State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) is yet to start selling maize to the public in some of its markets, a survey has established.
The Nation checks in Karonga, Chitipa, Nkhata Bay, Dedza, Salima, Mangochi, Mwanza, Machinga and Blantyre established that most of the Admarc markets in the districts are not selling maize and some are still closed.
But Admarc chief executive officer Daniel Makata yesterday said Admarc is still delivering maize to its depots and is satisfied with the progress so far.
He said: “So there is no need for panic. We are going to continue delivering maize and opening more depots until we reach our target of 360 markets countrywide.”
During a visit to Karonga Admarc depot, we found it open with only rice being sold.
“Maize is available at the depot but we are waiting for instructions from management to start selling it,” said one of the workers.
In Nkhata Bay, the depot at the Boma was closed forcing people to buy maize at about K50 000 per 50 kilogramme (kg) bag from private traders.
Admarc sells its maize at K790 per kg, translating to K39 500 a 50kg bag.
Dedza Admarc depot was closed while in Salima, workers said they expect maize delivery next week.
In Mangochi, spot checks at Chomba, Mwalija, Lungwena, Nabale, Makanjira and Namwera depots showed that it is only at Chomba where Admarc is selling the staple grain.
Hawa Mdala, a resident of Ndete Village in Traditional Authority Makanjira, expressed worry over the unavailability of maize at the depot in her area.
“We are concerned because we are buying 10kg of maize at K5 700 from vendors while Admarc is not selling maize here,” she said.
Admarc depots at Mwanza and Machinga are also yet to start selling maize.
However, the situation was different at Zingwangwa Admarc in Blantyre where the market opened yesterday with people buying a maximum of 20 kg.
In an interview, Beatrice Keke of Zingwangwa Township expressed delight after buying 20 kg of maize but asked that the limit be increased to at least 25 kg.
At Mbame Admarc in Mpemba, workers said they received 600kg of maize which they started selling on December 27 2024 and ran out yesterday.
On rationing, Makata said Admarc sells a maximum of 25kg of maize per person to prevent people from buying and reselling the maize but each market has a commodity committee which sets limits depending on demand.
In Malawi, the lean period which starts in October and ends in March is usually characterised by an increase in food prices and food scarcity.
In its report on the 2024/25 harvest season, the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee, a multi-stakeholder grouping, projected that about 5.7 million Malawians would face hunger during the lean period.
Additional reporting: Jordan Simeon Phiri, Joseph Mbughi, Zondani Mbale, Brian Chigumula, Greenwell Kayuni, Haneeph Maulana, Ayamba Kandodo and Lovemore Khomo
