Mutharika says Malawi to maintain ban on maize exports ‘until reserves are filled up’
President Peter Mutharika has again put his foot down on stopping local farmers exporting maize, maintaining a two-year ban, saying the ban would be lifted only when all Strategic Grain Reserves (SGR) in the country are filled up.
Mutharika said this on Wednesday when presided over the official opening of this year’s 14th National Agriculture Fair at Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds in Blantyre.
The Malawi leader said his government instituted a ban on maize export to prevent what happened in 2002 during the government of Bakili Muluzi when it exported maize to Kenya and a year later Malawi was hit hard by food shortages.
“Our plan is to fill up all our national silos and then we will be able to sell the excess, like I have always been saying, as long as I am president in this country no one will die of hunger,” said Mutharika.
During the event, Mutharika awarded Group Village headman Jumbe as best farmer, Monsanto Malawi as best input supplier and the department of agriculture research services as best service provider.
The theme for the 4-day fair is ‘unleashing full Agriculture Potential: role of markets.
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