‘Govt, Admarc violating people’s right to food’
Civil Society Agriculture Network (CisaNet) has described the price at which Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) is selling maize as a violation of people’s rights to food and development.
The network has further criticised authorities at Capital Hill for merely making maize available without ensuring that it is accessible to an average citizen.
CisaNet executive director Tamani Nkhono-Mvula made the criticism on Friday during a public debate the Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) organised to solicit views on the current price of maize.
Admarc is selling a kilogramme of maize at K250, which translates to K12 500 for a 50 kilogramme bag.
Nkhono-Mvula said this price is too exorbitant for low-earning persons; hence, the need for government to revisit its decision on the matter.
He said: “Government has an obligation as a duty-bearer to make sure that the right to food of the people is being safeguarded. There are a lot of instruments to which the Malawi Government is a signatory, which are pointing out the fact that access to food is a human right.
“So, if it is a human right, government, as a duty-bearer, has to protect it, promote it and ensure that it is being upheld.”
He further stated that the decision by government to raise the price of maize beyond average Malawians’ reach shows that authorities at Capital Hill are abrogating their role and duty on the protection of people’s rights to food and development as espoused by Section 30 (2) of the Constitution.
Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development public relations officer Alfred Kutengule justified the raise in maize price, saying it is to enable the parastatal to recoup the money it invested to procure the staple grain.
Kutengule also stated that the price will help Admarc easily repay the loan.
CfSC deputy director Father Bill Turnbull observed that although the current price of maize is affordable to some people, the majority cannot access the commodity “because the price is higher than what they earn”. n
