By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, February 16, Mana: Salima South East Member of Parliament Mike Mwawa on Saturday handed over a K38 million Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) depot aimed at enhancing food accessibility in his constituency in the area of Senior Chief Kambwiri.

The Kapiring'ombe ADMARC depot has been constructed under the Community Development Fund, with anticipation that it will ease the distance that people trailed to find the next depot located 20 kilometres away.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Benedicto Chambo commended Mwawa for prioritizing food security amongst different developments.

"Government commends such collaborative efforts that puts the people's needs first and having a depot assures people of having maize easily accessible to the people," Chambo said.

He reaffirmed government's commitment to ensuring food security by stocking ADMARC depots with maize across the country.

Mwawa called upon chiefs and community members to further be custodians of the facility by ensuring that vendors who take advantage of buying maize from them and sell at higher prices are not given a chance.

He said it is important that people must have food therefore ADMARC should be stocking the depot regularly, taking into consideration that the hunger situation at the moment is very critical.

On his part, ADMARC Chief Executive Officer Fodreck Nyongani observed that there is a huge scramble for maize in the country and they are trying every means possible to ensure that they reach every part.

"Our main challenge is transportation of the commodity to depots hence there is usually a delay in restocking of maize in our depots, we are tirelessly working to make sure that this challenge has been curbed," he said.

Responding to the vendor situation, Nyongani said the complaints have reached his office and they have engaged the Malawi Police Service to be on top of the situation and arrest suspects.

Also present at the ceremony was Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture Richard Chimwendo Banda, who underscored the need for Members of Parliament to do an assessment of the people's needs before bringing any development.

"This ADMARC depot truly reflects a dire need that has been in the area for a long time, and bringing the depot closer to the people is a relief and assurance of having maize accessible to people, and also whenever they want to sell their produce they will not struggle," he said.

Currently, ADMARC depots are operational and selling maize in all the depots across the district, bringing relief to people who were heavily affected by drought in the 2024/2025 farming season.