Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA) Executive Director John Kapito has asked the government to find solutions on Maize scarcity in Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) deports, saying issuing threats will not help matters.

Kapito’s remarks follow a warning issued by President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika last week in his State of the Nation Address.

In his speech, Mutharika warned ADMARC official to desist from conniving vendors to sell them maize at night which in turn is sold to Malawians at an exorbitant price, saying this is uncalled for and if found the law will take its cost.

But in a statement issued on Sunday made available to FaceofMalawi, Kapito said issuing threats will not help matters.

“This is the worst ever recorded scarcity of maize and higher prices since Malawi embraced the subsidized agricultural farm input production of maize.
“What is shocking, though, is the failure by the government to have no strategies to deal with the current hunger crisis affecting many Malawians. The government is clueless, reactive and helpless to find solutions that will address the current food shortages and higher prices of maize”, reads in part the statement.

Kapito urged the government to set a price for Maize across the country to avoid the recent scenario where vendors are hiking prices of the staple foods anyhow.

Private traders are currently selling the grain at exorbitant prices with a 50kg bag going at a minimum of K15, 000 in some markets, while the government-owned Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) sells 50kg bag at K5, 500.