Rice prices have farmers wailing while buyers are happy

Jul 09, 2017 Politics 57
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Rice farmers have expressed concern over low prices of the crop in Nkhotakota district.

Malawi24 caught up with small scale farmers in the district who said the current rice price per 50 kilogram bag is unsatisfactory.

One of the farmers Moreen Chimbiri told Malawi24 that the current minimum and maximum prices of rice are not convincing.

“Just imagine, the minimum price is MK7,000 and the maximum price is MK9,000 per bag weighing 50 kilograms,” she told Malawi24.

Malawi rice farmers crying out loud. (Image credit- The Scotsman)

According to Chimbiri, initially prices were promising despite high supply of the crop in the district and Malawi at large.

She told this publication that although the supply of the crop is high, the demand was promising.

“Soon after harvesting, the demand of the crop was high that gave us hope that this year more profits will be realised.

“Things turned around when the market was flooded with excess rice crop that is making buyers to take advantage of bidding at lower price,” she told Malawi24.

She disclosed that soon after harvesting, the crop was sold at MK14,000 per bag weighing 50 kilograms but all of a sudden excess supply led to massive dwindling of the price.

She disclosed that lower price may be determined by prohibition of rice crop from being sold outside the country.

According to Chimbiri, this is making rice that is in abundance in the country to be sold at low price.

President Peter Mutharika ordered that crops such as maize, tobacco and rice must not be sold out of the country.

Most farmers in Nkhotakota district cultivated the rice thinking that they may realise huge profits like in the past growing season.

Last growing season, the minimum price of the crop was MK15,000 and maximum price was MK20, 000 per 50 kilogram bag.

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57 Comments

  3. yea thats true , it is a great concern that farmers toiled in their fields so that they can have a bumper yields which may give them alot of income after liquidify them into cash after sales but it is an irony to them to tell them about this for the prices they are getting now are just there to favour the buyers … so its really sad

  8. Had it been that Chaponda is still the Minister of Agriculture we couldn’t have seen this happening, look now God has bless Malawi this year with alot of food, maize+rice is now sold at a reseasonable price, even beans, we were lacking this because satana was stealing for the poor, we have been recelving good rainfall suitable for the farm produce but the problem is that satana was controling our produce!

  11. Am a buyer but am not happy with prices of crops on the market. To me this is a sign of trouble for the 70% malawians who depend on farming

  12. Kkkkkkkkk koma guyz……..but these r blessings indeed! Lets gv thanks to God.ku MJ kuno ndiye anthu akumangogula wa K50/ K 100….chibeseniiii,wongonyika basi

  17. well done government,maiza k60 and rice k300,,,,well done.asamangotipezerera alimi a chimangafe tidzifanana nanga i could like it drop to k50 as well. mumati uzidula ndi mpunga? this is additional food in malawi,our step food is maize only.we can survive without eating rice for a nomber of years what about nsima?

  37. Farmers in KK must know that: good rains = good yields = low prices (gr=gy=lp), and if good rains repeat next year, prices of most commodities will be very very low.

  39. Dziko lidzitero, kuno konkha ku malawi komwe chakudya chimakhala chokwera mtengo kwambili, chakudya chizikhala pa mulingo wakuti aliyense azikwanitsa kugula, kare mpunga amadya ndi ma bwana andalama zawo koma pano aliyense akukwanitsa, boma lipililize kuletsa kugulitsa zakudya kumaiko akunja.

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