Malawi Police Service have arrested and prosecuted 109 business persons for contravening government set farm gate prices.

According to a Police report signed by spokesperson of Malawi Police James Kadadzera, the arrested have been charged with offences ranging from buying farm produce without a license to buying farm produce using unrecommended scales.

“Nine businesspersons have been sentenced to pay a fine of sixty thousand kwacha each or be jailed for nine months.” Reads part of the report.

The report further indicates that 75 bags of rice and two bags of beans have been forfeited to government, a fine of K175, 000 has been ordered to redeem the motor vehicle that was used to carry the farm produce.

The police have since warned Malawians particularly businesspersons against buying farm produce below the minimum prices and that law enforcers will continue monitoring the markets.

Farmers this year are supposed to sell maize at K150 per kilogramme following an announcement of new prices by government for all strategic crops for the 2020/2021 agricultural season.

Among other crops, cotton is at K320/Kg, paprika is at K830/Kg, polished rice is at K600/Kg, shelled groundnuts K480/Kg, pure beans at K510/Kg K320/Kg and sunflower at K240/Kg.