Various stakeholders are in push for provision of enough maize in Admarc depots amid hunger fears, although government is making a fresh commitment in having enough in stock.
According to Daniel Makata, General Manager for Admarc, measures are being put in place to have just enough of the staple in its confines.
This follows a recent concern that the parliamentary committee on agriculture put across demanding the situation to change as a vulnerability assessment projects that at least four million people will face hunger and when the commodity is getting expensive and scarce.
The public is being assured of continued supply of maize in ADMARC markets across the country.
But Makata says the situation id due to change as Admarc has so far been supplied with more than 12,000 metric tons of maize from the National Food Reserve Agency NFRA to be sold in targeted markets in the southern region.
On his part, Robert Mkwezalamba Chairperson for the Human Rights Consultative Committee has said the work now requires more action.
He said: ‘’One of the roles of members of parliament and councillors is to push government through ADMARC to timely provide maize in the markets rather than creating unnecessary panic amongst the people which might further push prices up,” Mkwezalamba added.
His sentiments have also been shared by John Kapito who leads the influential Meanwhile Consumers Association of Malawi.
Some of the markets which have been supplied with maize include Goliati in Thyolo, Zingwangwa, Ndirande, Mangochi, and several other markets in Mulanje Chiradzulu, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe among others.
An estimated 4.4 million Malawians are likely to face hunger in the 2023/24 consumption period, representing 22 percent of the country’s projected population of 19.6 million. Government has since committed K167.55 billion for support mechanisms.
The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac) annual food security assessment results published yesterday shows that the current projection represents a 15 percent increase compared to the previous consumption period when 3.9 million people faced hunger.