Mzuzu silos dry as farmers shun govt prices
Former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s dream of stocking maize in all the regions has been shattered administration following revelations that government drained all the maize at the newly constructed Mzuzu Silos.
During a tour of the silos by the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources yesterday, it was established that the silos have been dry for months.
This comes after President Joyce Banda embarked on a suspicious maize flour distribution that was criticised by many.
The chairperson, David Luka, said the committee was disappointed with the disappearance of 1 300 metric tonnes the maize amidst fears of hunger.
The committee was in the dark regarding where the maize was taken to.
“For sure, there will be hunger. This is not a good situation! The silos are meant to serve people when there is hunger, but we don’t have maize in the silos,” said Luka.
However, he said government was failing to buy maize due to low prices it was offering to farmers.
Luka said the country also urgently needs the Right to Food Bill to control the transfer of maize.
Minister of Information and Civic Education Moses Kunkuyu said the maize in reserves is not meant for one region as government has to distribute to other areas.
If such a magnitude of maize stocks disappear in thin air with no good explanation given is a thing not even Joyce Banda herself can understand. I am not a PP advocate neither am I interested in what poor Malawian politicians are doing to enrich themselves and at times score cheap political mileage in the name of serving the ignorant villagers etc. Whether Joyce Banda’s administration mismanaged the maize reserves as stated above is neither here nor there. In any case the maize reserves was entrusted to somebody who apparently should have been answerable for the disappearance of 1,300 metric tons. That is abuse of an of office, theft by a civil servant entrusted with government property, under performance of an employed personnel etc. Once that is done this person will come forward and explain who else is also involved in the misappropriation. If left unchecked then everybody will be free to do the same.
Surely, in a free economy, growers should be able to bargain for the price they would like? If the Government wishes to buy Maize at a fixed price, perhaps it should grow some?