By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, April 8, Mana: The Government of Malawi has officially announced the minimum farm gate prices for strategic agricultural commodities for the 2024/25 farming season, a move aimed at protecting farmers and ensuring fair trade.  

The directive, which takes immediate effect, seeks to stabilize market conditions and safeguard the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across the country.

The Ministry of Agriculture has made the announcement through a press release ordering all agro-dealers, agro-processors, and other stakeholders involved in the buying and selling of the key commodities to strictly adhere to the newly announced prices.

The set minimum farm gate price for maize, the country’s staple food is K1,050 per kg, rice-paddy at K1,200 per kg, finger millet and soya beans at 1,200 per kg, respectively, while the price for pure beans is at K2,500.

Shelled and non-shelled ground nuts are at K2,500 and K1,300 per kg respectively, while pigeon peas, cow peas, and sesame are at K1,100; K1,200; and K2,000 per kg, respectively.

The releases, which is signed by Secretary for Agriculture (Irrigation) Eng. Godfrey Mamba, says purchases below the stated minimum prices will be considered illegal and subject to penalties.

The Malawi government has also introduced a licensing requirement for all individuals and businesses intending to purchase farm commodities.

According to the statement prospective buyers must obtain licenses from the respective offices of Programme Managers in Karonga, Mzuzu, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Salima, Machinga, Blantyre, and the Shire Valley Agricultural Development Divisions.

Licenses are also available at the office of the Director of Crop Development, located at the Malawi-China Agriculture Technical Cooperation facility near the NRC Campus.

The Ministry has emphasized that these measures are designed to ensure transparency, enhance market discipline, and promote sustainable agricultural growth.

By Sheminah Nkhoma

Lilongwe, April 8, Mana: Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo says the nation needs a well drafted reformed laws that will address challenges such as corruption, accelerating service delivery and empowering communities.

The minister made the remarks on Tuesday in Lilongwe during the opening ceremony of Legislative Drafting Training which is being facilitated by the Chandler Institute of Justice (CIJ).

Mvalo said, the training will help address challenges that the ministry faces in addressing government bills and other law related issues.

“The training by ClJ is very timely, noting that we have been unable to send lawyers for refresher skills on law drafting due to understaffing; so this opportunity will keep the lawyers with enough information  on how they can draft laws to avoid controversies,” he said.

The Minister further said, laws are the foundation of the society as in every public or private sector they need laws to protect their policies.

“Poor drafted laws make it difficult for the courts to interpret: that is why we need to improve on governance and have proper legal frameworks,” said Mvalo.

Executive Director of CIJ, Ron Chari, said well drafted laws make it easy for government to function and easily translate policy issues.

He said, 30 government lawyers will be equipped with skills on how they can draft laws.

“Laws should not only be considered as a legal text but also be seen as a document that a common person must understand when translated to them,” he said.

Chari highlighted that most of the laws in the world are outdated and do not address the current challenges, and that, as lawyers, they are trying to interpret the laws into the present days.

CIJ is specialised in Model laws, advisory law reforms, legal training and legal knowledge products.

By Augustus Nkhwazi

Mzuzu, April 8, Mana: The Malawi Network of Order Persons (MANEPO) Executive Director, Andrew Kavala, says the organization does not protect older persons who engage themselves in unlawful acts.

Kavala was reacting to recent conviction and sentencing by a court in Mzuzu where two separate elderly men aged 85 and 83 were sent to jail for sexual intercourse with minor girls.

“No one is above the law; as a Human Rights Commissioner, I applaud the courts for doing the right thing,” said Kavala in an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday.

He added that no one should look at their age and think they can misbehave and get away with it.

“We sympathize with survivors whose rights have been violated and remain traumatized,” Kavala said.

He added that even people with disabilities can be held responsible when they engage in criminal acts.

On April 3, 2025 Mzuzu First Grade Magistrate Robert Makaika sentenced Benson Nyirenda 85, to 10 years imprisonment for sexually molesting his 10 year old niece.

On Monday, April 7, 2025 Mzuzu Senior Resident Magistrate Ashford Harawa convicted and sentenced Juston Kasambala 83, to 18 years imprisonment with hard labor for having sexual intercourse with four minors aged between 6 and 9.

A statement from Mzuzu Police Station signed by Deputy Public Relations Officer Cecilia Mfune indicated Benson Nyirenda committed the offence from 2024 to February 15, 2025 when he was apprehended.

On the other hand, Juston Kasambala commítted the crime from May 2023 to May 2024, but he was arrested on February 9, 2025 at a political rally after freeing from Chiputula where he used to stay.

By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, April 7, Mana: Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Owen Chomanika, has announced Government's plans to introduce 50 new fish cages on Lake Malawi in a move to revitalize the fisheries sector and boost national food security.

The minister made the announcement Monday in Salima, during the official launch of the Cage Fish Farming Guidelines and the National Aquaculture Development Plans, an initiative supported by the German development agency, GIZ.

Chomanika praised the progress made in cage fish farming across the country, describing it as a promising solution to declining fish stocks and a vital step toward meeting the rising demand for fish.

“The addition of 50 new cages is not just about increasing production, but also about embracing innovation and working together for sustainable development,” he said.

The minister challenged all players in the fish industry to take action and bring the much needed transformation in reducing the country’s reliance on imported fish.

"If we do not put in place supporting guidelines on how we will implement these guidelines, then this launch will be useless," Chomanika said.

He emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration among government departments, private investors, scientists, and local communities to drive sustainable aquaculture development.

Germany’s Ambassador to Malawi, Ute König, underscored the importance of the fisheries sector to Malawi’s economy and nutrition as Fish currently accounts for more than 40 percent of the protein intake among Malawians.

"The newly launched guidelines are expected to provide a structured regulatory framework that promotes responsible aquaculture practices while safeguarding the environment and local communities," he said.

The Ambassador, highlighted recent statistics that reveal a 9.2 percent drop in fish landings, which has reduced per capita fish consumption from 9.65 kilograms in 2023 to 8.5 kilograms in 2024.

“This decline has heightened the urgency for innovative solutions like cage fish farming, which offers a scalable method to replenish fish supply sustainably. The prospects for the future are promising, but we must ensure sustainability is at the heart of every step we take,” Konig said.

Chomanika also inspected four existing fish cages in Lake Malawi, expressing confidence in their potential to revolutionize fish production in the region.

By Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, April 8, Mana: Tiyeni, a local based Non-Governmental Organization aimed at promoting sustainable farming in the country, has challenged farmers in Lilongwe district to start embracing new agricultural technologies to have bumper yield.

Tiyeni Board Member, Professor Bernard Kamanga, made the call on Monday at Mkoma primary school ground, Traditional Authority Chimutu, in Kalulu Extension Planning Area (EPA), during ‘deep bed’ farming method field day.

“Times have changed because of Climate change and farmers now should start cultivating in a different way. So by bringing in, deep bed farming method, we want farmers to start managing soil and water because deep bed farming harvest rain water and controls erosion,” said Kamanga.

He further said it is interesting and encouraging that many farmers in the district have started using and appreciating the new agricultural technologies in their farms.

“As I am speaking, some of our members are in Zimbabwe where they have been invited to teach farmers there on deep bed farming method. The demand is high, but the challenge has been resources,” he said.

Chief Crops Officer for Agriculture Development Division (ADD) for Ntcheu, Dedza and Lilongwe, Fumbani Kadokela, thanked Tiyeni for the initiative, saying with the erratic rains that the country is currently receiving, there is need to adopt new agricultural technologies in order to have bumper yield.

“We need to accept that climate change is here to stay, but as farmers we just need to find means and ways of adapting to such situations by, among other things, harvesting rainy water through deep bed farming,” he said.

One of the Lead Farmers, Gladwell Kapatuka, said he has been experiencing bumper yield since he started practicing deep bed farming method.

“Let me encourage my fellow farmers to start practicing deep bed farming and they will never regret even if the rains won’t be enough because deep beds keep moisture for some time,” he said.

Tiyeni has been operating in the country for over 15 years and the organization                                                                                                                          has reached out with this initiative to almost every district in the country.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, April 8, Mana: Participants of Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) in Nkhata Bay have commended the programme for enabling them buy agricultural inputs, hence improving food security at household level.

Speaking in an interview Monday, Esnart Banda, a 47-year-old beneficiary from Old Maula Cluster in Jumbo Village in the district, said SCTP has made a significant impact on her life and her family's well-being.

Banda said with the cash transfer from the SCTP, she was able to purchase four bags of fertilizer, giving her hope for a high yield this year.

"Before joining the program in 2022, I was struggling to feed my family of eight. But I can now afford the inputs and my farm is thriving," Banda said.

She added that SCTP enabled her to join a village savings bank, and at the end of the year, she is able to save over K250,000.00 from the K52,000.00 she receives from SCTP.

Another beneficiary, Jessie Kayinjira, 54, from Chikwina cluster in the area of Senior Chief Nyaliwanga, said she's able to grow more crops to feed her family because of the program.

"Before joining the program, I struggled to cultivate enough food to feed my family. However, I can now cultivate cassava and rice, which I use to feed my family the whole year round, and sell the surplus," she said.

Like Banda, Kayinjira is a member of a village savings group and, every month, she saves part of the K43,000 that she receives from SCTP, which gives her a chance to borrow money during the farming season to buy fertilizer and pay farm workers.

Principal Social Welfare Officer responsible for SCTP in Nkhata Bay, Wisdom Mwafulirwa, said it is impressive to see that the cash transfers are enabling communities to access the resources they need to improve agricultural productivity.

"It's wonderful to see the positive impact the program is having on families. We will keep on encouraging the beneficiaries to join the village saving groups, invest in small businesses, and procure assets so that when they graduate, the lifestyle should be sustainable," he said.

The SCTP, which provides financial support to labor-constrained and ultra-poor families, is a component of the Social Support Resilience and Livelihoods Programme, implemented through the National Local Government Finance Committee with financial support from the World Bank and Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

Currently, 6,475 households are benefiting from the program in the Nkhata Bay.

By Evance Chisiano                                                                                                   

Blantyre, April 8, Mana: Certified real estate practitioners, property valuers, surveyors, physical planers and the academia have commended the National Addressing System (NAS) being implemented by the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA), with a call for continued engagement to ensure the system improves service delivery.

The practitioners and the other players in land related issues made the comments on Monday during Real estate engagement meeting held at Sunbird Mount Soche in Blantyre under the theme: Revatalising real estate standards with National Addressing System.

Making a presentation titled; Leveraging the National Addressing System to simplify property identification and enhance client engagement, Sam Thunde, a certified estate agent, expressed hope that the system will work to their advantage in the certified real estate agents.

"We are looking forward to seeing MACRA rolling out the National Addressing System: It will work wonders for estate agents,” Thunde said.

He therefore called on property owners and other players in the land industry to embrace the NAS wholeheartedly, saying this will help meeting the system’s objectives, thereby attaining to Malawi’s socio-economic development agenda.

MACRA piloted the NAS in Blantyre at Namiwawa, Chinyonga, Safalao in Ndirande, Makata industrial area, and Mdeka from 2018 after an amendment of Communication Act in 2016, which mandated the communication regulatory authority to implement the system.

Urban and regional planning expert, Blessings Chiepa highlighted benefits of NAS through his presentation titled: Incorporating the National Addressing System for Effective Urban Planning and Infrastructure Development.

He expressed hope that NSA will provide solution to some of the challenges Malawi’s physical planning sector faces; citing increased urbanization and informal settlement, apart from limited access to utilities.

“NAS will help the physical planning sector to make informed decision on matters related to urban physical planning. This will also improve property taxation and revenue collection,” Chiepa added.

Other presenters at the engagement meeting included, veteran property valuer., Rizwan Omar, who said almost every Malawian is connected to issues to do with land whether one is property owner or tenant.

“National Addressing System is real, important and we want to be part of it,” he said in his presentation; Enhancing property evaluation with National Addressing System

MACRA Director of Postal and E-Commerce Development, Kondwani Katchika, said the communication regulatory authority was looking forward to seeing more of engagements with stakeholders for their inputs.

He therefore commended presentations made at the meeting, saying MACRA will consolidate suggestions and recommendations made at the meeting.

According to Katchika, engagement meetings will also be held in other regions to allow more inputs from stakeholders.

Apart from the academia, students in land survey and physical planning from the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences attended the real estate engagement meeting.

By Winfrida Kamwana

Mchinji, April 7, Mana: Girls Activists Youth Organization (GAYO), says it is a necessity for communities to know and understand the importance of observing policies and legal frameworks in order for them to be able to protect children from different forms of abuse.

This was said during an awareness campaign which the organisation conducted at Chankhanga Primary School in Mchinji, with a purpose of sensitizing the communities on policies and authorities that protect children from abuse.

Programmes coordinator for GAYO, Isobel Jere said it is hard for communities to report cases of abuse to the right authorities when they have little or no information on child protection policies, saying this leads to ineffective intervention thereby placing more children at risk of undergoing the same fate.

“Many children in communities suffer from abuse because guardians and people in the community do not know  the right channels to follow in order to get help, so we believe that this awareness will help shade more light on how to go about it if they ever need help,” said Jere.

Jere further explained that not only will people know the right channels to follow but they will also be able to reprimand each other in the community if they notice that something is wrong especially when it comes to their children in the society.

In his remarks, Magistrate In charge for Mchinji Magistrate court, Fred Juma Chilowetsa said people are taking matters into their own hands especially on issues to deal with child abuse and this is hindering the progress of the fight against child abuse in communities.

“Many people in the society do not report issues of abuse to the right authorities saying it is family matters and should be resolved amidst them but this is erroneous because when it comes to Child Care Protection and Justice Act any issue that puts a child’s life in jeopardy needs to be addressed and reprimanded by the law,” said Chilowetsa.

He further said that community leaders need to implement policies and legal frameworks that will help them not only to fight against child abuse but to also make sure that they report these issues to the police so that children are fully protected and get the justice they deserve.

Appreciating the work that GAYO is doing, Senior Chief Chapakama who represented Traditional Authority Kapondo said as leaders in the area, they will make sure that cases of abuse will be handed to proper authorities to handle so that justice is served.

He went on to say that implementing children protection by-laws will help communities overcome child abuse cases and help children grow in health environment.

GAYO is implementing a community engagement sponsorship project funded by World Vision Malawi.

The organisation invited different officials at the awareness campaign to explain on the policies that help protect children which include the social welfare office, gender office, the health sector and the magistrate court.