Malawi President rules out lifting maize export ban
President Peter Mutharika has said the government is under pressure to export maize but has put his foot down, saying his administration would neither lift the maize export ban.
Mutharika said this on Wednesday in Mulanje during the launch of Malawi Rural Electrification Program (Marep) phase eight.
“This is my maize. This maize will stay in Malawi, it will not be exported,” he said.
Admarc has over 100000 metric tonnes of maize in its warehouses which it bought after an a survey showed Malawi would be hit hard by food shortage which never happened.
Malawians ignored the Admarc maize after the state grain company hiked the price to K12500 per 50kg bag as opposed to vendors who sold it as low as K8000 per bag.
“I know the people who are giving pressure to government to export the maize but we will not bow down,” he said.
Mutharika said in 2003 the government of Bakili Muluzi exported maize to Kenya and a year later Malawi was hit hard by food shortages.
Admarc chairman James Masumbu said the organisation has received any applications for maize export.
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Ma vendor anatchipitsa chimanga chifukwa choti amadziwa zoti kwa Admarc kuli chimanga. Kwa Admarc kukanakhala kuti kulibe chimanga bwenzi ma vendor akuchigulitsa mwina pa mtengo wa K20,000.00 per bag. Choncho Bwana President ndi bwino kuti kwa Admarc kuzipezeka chimanga nthawi zonse.
Maize is now selling at K50 per kg. Chilipo chambiri ndiye tikapusa most of it will rot Bwana President. Better sell some outside the country kuti tipezeko ka forex
Thank you Mr. President for once you have considered the people as citizens.