UTM, Parliamentary commiteee fault Malawi govt on Pigeon pea prices: ‘Farmers disadvantaged’

The government’s decision to buy pigeon peas (nandolo) from farmers at K230 per kilogramme (kg) has been faulted by the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture as lacking focus, considering that the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) is not funded yet.

Pigeon peas hope for Malawi’s future but prices disadvantage farmers

President Peter Mutharika urged pigeon peas farmers to sell their produce to Admarc and avoid intermediaries, according to a statement issued on September 12 signed by Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism Ken Ndala.

The statement says government will buy the pigeon peas at K230 per kg, which is K90 less than the circulated minimum price of K320 per kg.

But Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture chairperson Joseph Chidanti Malunga quashed the directive, saying the same government recently ordered Admarc to buy maize from farmers, but as of now the grain marketor is still not buying the maize.

He said the directive for Admarc to start buying pigeon peas “does not make sense”, saying there are no funds at the corporation.

Malunga, who is also United Transformation Movement (UTM) spokesman , added that the directive will mainly benefit the intermediate buyers who have already bought the pigeon peas from local farmers at much lower prices.

UTM through its leader who is also the country’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima  and Secretary General Patricia Kaliati as well acondemned the directive on Saturday during a political rally at Kamwendo in Mchinji.

“Prices of pigeon peas should be allocated during the harvesting period not when farmers have already sold their produce to unscrupulous middlemen. You have bought the pigeon peas from farmers at K40 or K50, you have kept it in your warehouses and now you want to start selling to Admarc at higher prices,” argued Chilima.

It is almost four months after local farmers harvested the pigeon peas.

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Mike Tembwe
Mike Tembwe
5 years ago

DPP looters have been buying nandolo from farmers at K40 per kg. Then, their president orders Admarc to start buying it at K230 per kg so that the cadets that bought Nandolo can be rewarded. Kodi DPP umbava idzasiya liti? To be honest, tatopa nanu, eish!!!!. Can’t you do something clean for once? Guess what, mubeletu komaliza. Come May 2019, there are beautiful cells at Maula Prison waiting for you.

Professional Simurai
Professional Simurai
5 years ago

Prof peter Muthariaka is indeed clueless president, how can you direct purchase of pegeon peas 4 months after they were harvested just because UTM said the wanted to raise prices for farmers once into govt? very terible thinking from DPP, i cant believe this

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago

Local farmers are where they are now. Can you please then come up with the best way forward UTM please. Don’t criticise DPP’s half-baked solution by pouring water on it. Rather advise the government with a credible and optimal solution to benefit farmers. Chilima is VP in the government and Malunga-Chidanti is the Chairman of the Agriculture parliamentary Committee. Come now UTM; you can do better than criticising.

BigMan
BigMan
5 years ago

Funny how you fellows keep reminding us that Chilima is VP as if we didn’t know that from the start!!! We live in Malawi you know.

Sure
Sure
5 years ago

Who’s the boss between chilima and chidanti? Who can you listen to the boss or the servant?
DPP AKUBA MWA UMBULI secondly they took themselves because they are friends .koma we ask the nxt government to arrest them opanda chisoni

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