Mutharika lifts maize export ban

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Malawian-Maize

President Peter Mutharika has removed the maize export ban that his government imposed.

He said the ban has been lifted with immediate effect.

Mutharika made the announcement when he made an unannounced visit to Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc).

Mutharika: I’m convinced that we have enough maize in stock.

“I’m convinced that we have now enough maize in stock, yes we have plenty, therefore, we have decided to lift the ban on maize export. This is an executive order and I urge the Chief Secretary to gazzette this. However both NFRA and Admarc will continue buying maize. We will provide them with more resources,” he said.

In May when he presided over the official opening of this year’s 14th National Agriculture Fair at Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds in Blantyre the Malawi leader said his government instituted the ban on maize export to prevent what happened in 2002 during the Bakili Muluzi administration when government exported maize to Kenya and a year later Malawi was hit hard by food shortages.

“Our plan is to fill up all our national silos and then we will be able to sell the excess, like I have always been saying, as long as I am president in this country no one will die of hunger,” said Mutharika.

Some farmers were not happy with the ban because they were selling maize locally at a low price due to high supply of maize on the market.