Pressure for maize

 Parliamentarians yesterday took turns to press the Ministry of Agriculture to state when it would stock Admarc depots with maize as the delays are exposing a majority to hunger as prices of the staple food are escalating.

The legislators’ reaction targeted a ministerial statement by responsible minister Samuel Kawale, which despite promising to flood the market with maize from National Food Reserve

 Agency (NFRA) and imports, fell short of assuring when the measures will be undertaken.

In the statement, Kawale said although maize production fell by 5.6 percent in the 2022/23 growing season, the country has a cereal surplus.

“Following the release of the 2022/23 third-round results, your ministry has compiled what is called the cereal-based national food balance sheet covering the period between April 2023 to March 2024.

“It shows that the country has a total maize supply of 3 517 839 metric tonnes (MT) against a total maize requirement for 12 months, projected at 3 469 597MT for food, industrial and cereals,” he said.

Kawale further said government has in stock 68 420MT of maize at NFRA of which 52 460MT belong to NFRA and 15 960MT for Admarc.

“In addition to these stocks, government will further procure 42 000MT additional maize for the strategic grain reserve, using the K12 billion in the national budget.”

His pronouncement attracted a barrage of calls for government to indicate when it is expected to distribute the maize and at what price.

Responded Thyolo Central parliamentarian Ben Phiri: “We were promised that Admarc depots will be opened last year in December. The depots are closed, at least in my constituency. Where will this maize you are talking about be sold?

“And when will that start? Because, for people of Thyolo Central, the hunger situation is terrible… a lot of people don’t know where to buy the maize. We can’t wait any longer.”

Phalombe South legislator Mary Mpanga said people are eating unpalatable food as they cannot access maize.

“Can the minister be open as to where the stocks are? Because in the Southern Region we get the maize from Luchenza. There is nothing. People are dying as of now, they are eating madeya (maize husks), they are eating banana roots,” she said.

In his statement, Kawale also updated the august House on the performance of livestock and other crops. However, Blantyre City South lawmaker Sameer Suleman, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, protested this.

He responded: “What

 Malawians are expecting is maize in Admarc. If we go to Nsanje, the situation is bad.

“And to come here and to be telling us about quails and pigeons is not on. We want maize in Admarc. Can you come out straight and tell us when maize will leave NFRA and reach Admarc depots. We want the dates.”

However, Kawale said that the National Assembly will be updated on Wednesday next week.

Other legislators who pressed the minister to open up on the maize issue were Mike Bango of Kasungu North, Symon Vuwa-Kaunda of Nkhata Bay Central and Lilian Patel of Mangochi South.

The debate comes as a 50-kilogramme bag of maize is on average fetching K30 000.

Last month, a Famine and Early Warning Systems Network report showed that the prices could escalate to as high as K42 000 between this year and March 2024.

The ministerial report comes amid a Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives petition to Parliament to deliberate on the country’s maize situation to rescue the poor majority