Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima has warned Majete Wildlife Reserve to stop duping farmers in honey business.

Dr Chilima sent the warning during Public Sector Reforms Programme, monitoring tour of Neno and Mwanza districts.

In Mwanza, Dr Chilima took time to visit two projects in the area of Senior Chief Kanduku; Fumbi Irrigation scheme and Namitsepha Bee Keeping and Honey Processing Cooperative.

With a K64 million grant from Agriculture Commercialisation (AGCOM) Project and technical support from Mwanza District Council, the cooperative is producing and processing honey which is sold to Honey with a Heart Company, a Partner of African Parks.

However, it has been established that farmers do not do business directly with the off-taker and instead it is Majete Wildlife Reserve that operates as a middleman.

One of the members of the cooperative told Dr Chilima that Majete sells the honey to the buyer at a price that is not disclosed to the producers but it pays the farmers K7200 per kilogramme.

This did not go down well with Dr Chilima who suspected unfair trading practices from the players managing the wildlife reserve.

The Vice President warned one of the officials from the wildlife reserve to immediately stop the malpractice or they risk facing unspecified action from the authorities.