A snap survey by Times Business has revealed that most Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) depots are running out of stock of maize.
This is forcing vulnerable Malawians to still rely on vendors to purchase the staple food.
The development has culminated in prices of the commodity remaining high at K1,000 a kilogramme (kg) or K50,000 for a 50kg bag in most parts of the Southern and Central regions.
This represents a 67 percent increase in the price when compared to the government-set selling price of K600 per kg or K30,000 50kg bag.
Enquiries made on Tuesday and Wednesday this week revealed that in Nsanje District only two Admarc depots were stocked with the grain at the Boma and at Bangula trading centre while five other markets of Phokera, Mbenje, Chigumukire, Tengani and Nyamithuthu were not operational.
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At Luchenza Admarc, the stock was depleted on Tuesday.
In an interview, 76-year-old Mary Nyirenda said she was forced to buy from vendors at the high price.
“I went to Admarc with my grandson and we were told the stock had been depleted while on the queue. There was nothing else we could have done except to buy from the vendors at K1,000 per kg,” Nyirenda said.
In Zomba, scores of vulnerable Malawians were queuing for the staple crop, only to buy 25 kg per individual as per Admarc orders.
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In Lilongwe and Mzuzu, our informants indicated that Admarc depots were yet to start selling the commodity.
In an interview, Admarc spokesperson Agness Chikoko Ndovie said the distribution exercise only started last week and she was yet to follow up on the exercise.
“The second phase started two weeks ago totaling 21,000 metric tonnes; so, the progress report is not yet in. We are selling rations of 25 kg because we want more people to access the maize,” Ndovie said.
During his tour of development projects in Blantyre last week, President Lazarus Chakwera assured Malawians that maize was going to be supplied to Admarc depots.
