Government says it has restricted the exportation of maize and its products, as part of continued efforts to, among others, safeguard national food security and maintain price stability.
Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism director of trade in goods Charity Musonzo said in a statement on Thursday that the move also aims to protect the livelihoods of the majority of Malawians who depend on maize as their staple food.
“The ministry, therefore, cautions that any i n d i v i d u a l s o r businesses found violating this restriction will face appropriate legal action,” she said.
I n h e r r e a c t i o n , Grain Traders Association of Malawi president Grace Mijiga-Mhango said the country does not have enough maize and the restriction is, therefore, in order.
“Furthermore, this restriction is coming in when government has positively responded to the public outcry and they have said they will soon open up to buying maize from farmers,” she said.
A fortnight ago, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Fatchi Mbilizi and her Zambian counterpart Reuben Mtolo Phiri signed a deal to procure 200 000 metric tonnes (MT) of maize from Zambia.
The deal followed a Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee assessment that four million people are at risk of hunger in the 2025/26 consumption period, representing 22 percent of the country’s projected population of 18.5 million.
About 6 188 379 people faced hunger in the 2024/25 updated assessment, while 4 402 000 people were hungry in the 2023/24 consumption year.
