Export Trading impresses agri minister
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ulemu Chilapondwa has expressed satisfaction at prices Export Trading Company is offering to local farmers.
Chilapondwa said, apart from buying produce from farmers, the company is also helping government in its quest to add value local produce.
The minister said this last Wednesday when he toured the company’s premises at Maoni and Limbe in Blantyre.
“What I saw is that they are adding value to pigeon peas for export. I am also impressed that they are encouraging farmers to grow the crop,” he said.
Chilapondwa said the Central and Northern regions that were not pigeon peas growing areas, have now gone into large-scale pigeon peas growing because they know they have a ready market in the company.
The company’s operations manager, Henry Kaunda, said they exported 35 000 metric tonnes of dhal to India, China, Canada and other countries.
“The product is doing well on the market and we are also selling it locally. Our future is good and we will do more than this.
“Our prices are good and we have deports in Thondwe, Balaka, Mwanza, Liwonde Mulanje and in other districts. We are buying soya at K220 (about $0.64) per kilogramme and pigeon peas at K175 (about $0.51) per kilogramme,” said Kaunda.
