Africa-Press – Malawi. The strategic maize reserves continue to dwindle. Recently, National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) told the nation that the reserves had over 60,000 metric tonnes of maize available. The good news then was that the agency was still procuring the grain and the reserves were being replenished.
Now, while the government is responding to the hunger situation by distributing maize across the country, officials at NFRA are worried as the stocks have now gone down to only 14,000 metric tonnes of maize available.
Malawi News understands that the NFRA does not have money to replenish the stocks. And officials at the agency are worried that should there be any disturbance or emergency, the reserves would completely go dry, a thing they describe as dangerous.
NFRA acting Chief Executive Officer David Loga said maize at the grain reserve continues to be drawn by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) and Admarc for the lean season.
“For October, Dodma draw 23,000 metric tonnes and recently there was an approval for them to draw 20,000 metric tonnes which they are still drawing now for lean season response. Another 10,000 metric tonnes is being drawn by Admarc.
“If they draw everything that they have been approved to draw, we will only remain with 14,000 metric tonnes. If after they are done drawing what was approved and they decide to come back for more, it means we will only be able to release the 14,000 metric tonnes which will also not be enough,” Loga said.
According to Loga, once NFRA releases the 14,000 metric tonnes that it has, then they will have the reserves completely depleted because there is no replenishment going on.
“We believe that government is aware of the situation and is doing something about it,” Loga added.
At the moment government is importing maize flour from Tanzania after the deal to import the grain went sour following maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease that has affected maize in Tanzania.
Asked if government is considering other options on the importation of maize apart from Tanzania, Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, refered us back to Dodma and NFRA. For the lean period, Dodma planned to distribute 164,000 metric tonnes of maize which is being drawn from the NRFA reserves and partners.
Charles KalembaThe lean season response plan started from October 2023 and will run up to March 2024 targeting 4.4 million people across all the 28 districts of the country.
Commissioner for Disaster Management Charles Kalemba said they are drawing maize from NFRA for hunger response and they are also mobilizing support from partners.
“We are still mobilizing support. We are okay for now; if we encounter problems as we go, we will inform Malawians,” Kalemba said. Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net) and other bodies forewarned the hunger situation in the country.
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