State grain trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) has said the country will have enough maize for sale during the lean period thanks to imports from Tanzania.
The assurance comes amid fears that the country’s markets will not have enough maize as a result of last growing season’s 17 percent drop to 2.9 million metric tonnes (MT) from the preceding year’s 3.5 million MT.
In response to our questionnaire, Admarc spokesperson Theresa Chapulapula said they have enough maize for sale until March 2025.
She said: “We received 10 000MT of maize from the Strategic Grain Reserve, which is currently being sold. Maize remains available and we are coordinating logistics to ensure a steady supply to the markets.
“We are prepared to continue maize sales until the end of the season. We purchased 36 000MT from farmers and we are currently selling about 10 000MT. Admarc is also selling maize from the National Food Reserve Agency [NRFA].”
On queries that some markets are not open, yet people want to buy the grain, Chapulapula said Admarc markets are open.
“Admarc has 240 commercial markets and 119 social markets. We are gradually opening them based on demand,” she said.
In a separate interview, Grain Traders Association of Malawi president Grace Mijiga Mhango said they were upbeat about maize availability in the country, citing steady inflow of maize from Tanzania and Mozambique.
“We are importing informally and much maize has been coming into the country. For some time, the cost per MT has been between K750 000 and K800 000 and we expect that our members will continue to import more maize,” she said.
So far, main beneficiaries of maize imports are districts in the North where prices have stabilised and are on the decline. In Chitipa, maize measured in a 20-litre pail was selling at K12 000, in Mzuzu it was at K14 000 and in Likoma was at K14 500. Admarc is selling the same at K15 800.
Likoma resident Enelles Maganjira said they were able to buy maize at affordable prices because of imports from Tanzania.
Agriculture expert Leonard Chimwaza said to sustain the momentum, Malawi needs to provide a conducive environment for maize imports and issuance of import permits must be expedited.
In an earlier interview, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale said they will continue to issue import permits to everyone willing to bring in maize, with the aim of flooding markets, which will see prices stabilising or even going down.
He said: “Government has several social protection programmes that include social cash transfer, free maize, rice and maize flour through Department of Disaster Management Affairs [Dodma] and sell cheaper maize.”
In its report on the 2024/25 harvest season, the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac), a multi-stakeholder grouping, projected an escalation in food prices, especially during the lean season.
