Maize sales worry Chitipa District Council

Chitipa District Council has expressed concern with the manner smallholder farmersare selling their maize to Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc).

At a district executive committee (DEC) meeting  held at World Relief Hall at Chitipa Boma on  Tuesday to assess the food situation in the district, Chitipa district commissioner Grace Zione Chirwa said farmers are selling maize in very large quantities.

She said if the trend continues, most households will soon deplete their food stocks and render thenselves food insecure.

“It will be unfortunate for smallholder farmers who realised reasonable maize yields to be hit by food shortages due to over selling of  the commodity,” said Chirwa.

All Admarc selling points in the district are characterised by long queues as farmers scramble to sell their maize to earn a quick buck.

Admarc is buying maize at K150 per kg, unparalleled  to unscrupulous traders who are buying the commodity at K75 per kg.

The fear also comes in the wake of reports from Chitipa District Agriculture Development Office which revealed that the district has experienced a sharp drop in maize production.

Admarc field officer for Karonga and Chitipa districts, Andrew Nyirenda, said Admarc   has already bought 244 858 metric tonnes nationally. n