The Ministry of Trade and Industry has directed all large live poultry producing companies to stop selling live chickens on retail in all trading centres and markets across.
The Ministry has said this in a statement released on Wednesday and signed by Principal Secretary in the ministry, Francis Zhuwao.
Government through the Ministry of Trade already directed large poultry producing companies to concentrate on selling live poultry from their production facilities by wholesale and leave all distribution and retailing to Malawian traders and farmers.
However, some poultry producers continue to sell chickens on retails or wholesale in trading centers and markets on their own hence the warning.
“Live poultry producers should only concentrate on selling their live poultry in their production facilities on wholesale and leave all distribution business to small scale distribution companies for Malawian traders and farmers,” said Zhuwao.
He added that the restriction was put in place to safeguard an inclusive growth of poultry business in the country and create a symbiotic relationship between the small-scale poultry farmers and the traders in the country.
Meanwhile, all live poultry producers have been ordered to stop selling live poultry outside their premises by February 29, 2023 and if they do so they will face the law.
The statement continues to say all retail and distributing companies should follow all procedures by registering their companies and label their vans with the company name for easy identification.
The ministry has warned that it will use the Malawi Police to monitor the situation among players in the business.
“The ministry wishes to inform the general public that the Malawi Police Service has been empowered to monitor the operation of the players on the ground especially in movement of poultry mobile vans that they have all required permits,” reads part of the statement.
