Ministry of Agriculture has faulted some exporters and individuals buying farm produce from farmers for breach of the Agricultural General Purposes Act.
In a written response yesterday, the ministry’s spokesperson Gracian Lungu said almost every year the buyers do not follow set procedures.
He said the ministry will enforce relevant laws, including the Agricultural General Purposes Act.
In a statement published in The Nation and The Daily Times newspapers, the ministry is asking unlicensed individuals and exporters to refrain from buying produce directly from farmers, saying it is only small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that were issued with licences per the Agricultural General Purposes Act.
On April 26 2022, the ministry issued a notice indicating that individuals, including exporters and institutions are not supposed to apply for licences as they are only allowed to buy farm produce from SMEs.
In a separate written response, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources agriculture economist Horace Phiri said that while policing compliance is expensive, farmers should ensure that they only trade with licenced SMEs.
But he said the most important thing is the use of certified weighing scales and that the produce is sold at recommended farm gate prices.
Agricultural policy expert Tamani Nkhono Mvula said while the issue can be looked at from different perspectives, the focus of the ministry has to be on protecting the interest of farmers.
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