Malawi feeds hungry Zimbabwe
Posted on Tuesday 3 August 2010 – 12:29
Mtheto Lungu, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe, Malawi
The Government of Malawi has approved export of 300,000 tonnes of maize to
Zimbabwe. The International Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FewsNet),
however, projects 1.5 million Malawians could face food shortage from next
September.
SA turns Zimbabweans back to the border
Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Margaret Mauwa, said Malawi had
surplus maize stores and government was offloading some of the staple food.
Malawi, she added, is confident there were enough stocks to meet the
country’s needs up to the next harvest.
“We have over 1 million tonnes of surplus maize,” she told the local
Daily Times. “We are only exporting 300,000 tonnes and we shall still have
enough maize.”
She argued FewsNet would be better placed to carry out a comprehensive
and informed survey before releasing outrageous figures to the public.
The network projects the lower Shire belt districts of Chikwawa,
Nsanje and several districts in the southern region would be negatively
affected.
“They do not know how much we have in reserves. Did they say that we
will not be able to feed those who will run out of maize from our reserves?
They need to do a lot of work and come out with information in their
reports,” she added.
Her Trade and Industry counterpart, Eunice Kazembe, also confirmed the
export and that the Grain Traders Association of Malawi has since found a
market in Zimbabwe where government is in need of 600,000 tonnes.
Chairperson for the association, Grace Mhango, confirmed its members
had already secured export licences and were working on financing mechanisms
with banks to facilitate the export, according to the Daily Times.
The struggling Zimbabwe economy has affected food requirements in the
country.
This is the second time Malawi has exported maize to Zimbabwe. In
2007, 400,000 tonnes found its way to Harare after official estimates
indicated a surplus. However, Malawi experienced food shortages which led to
higher market prices for maize on the local market.
People queued and fought on long lines trying to purchase the staple
at government run ADMARC markets. Some children died in the process.