Posted on July, 30, 2019 at 10:50 am
Maize prices are souring, reaching K15, 000 for a 50-kilogram bag from K8, 000 just a few two months ago, prompting the Centre for Social Concern to ask for government intervention to protect the poor.
Mfungwe: Government need to protect the poor
Centre for Social Concern (CSC) monitors the cost of life by monitoring food prices every month.
Lucky Mfungwe, the programs manager for CSC said it was pity that subsistence farmers sold their maize to commodity vendors at low prices and they are buying back the same maize at higher prices, in some cases K200 per kilogram.
"There is urgent need for the government to cushion the maize prices to protect the poor," said Mfungwe.
Mfungwe said it was too late for Admarc to start buying maize now, saying almost all the maize had been bought by commodity traders.
The CSC official said even if the maize was available, the K150 per kilogram price which Admarc wants to buy off the maize was an attractive as traders are offering K200 per kilogram for the same maize.
Source: Nyasa Times