Experts tip government on food law

Stakeholders in the Agriculture sector have commenced consultations on the new Right to Food Bill which is expected to be taken to the National Assembly soon.

Among others, the new bill seeks to remind government of its responsibility to providing maize to Malawians through Agricultural Marketing Company (ADMARC) and that state grain trader buys from farmers other food items.

Center for Social Concern Director Father James Ngahi sounded this in Lilongwe as he said it is high time Malawians have the much-anticipated right to food law.

“If you don’t have any other policy, you don’t have any restructure it becomes very difficult there is no backup, it is like building a house without foundation, but the moment you have the Bill then whatever you discuss will be backed by that very Bill,” said Fr Ngahi.

And on his part, ADMARC Acting Chief Executive Officer Felix Jumbe said the Cooperation needs to be restructured by among others, depoliticizing towards dealing away with massive corruption that it has suffered over years.

“Systems are an orderly way of getting things done and to deliver what has been designed and at the end of the day when the system is broken it is a fertile ground for corruption and corruption happens in a place when there is no system,” wondered Jumbe.

Meanwhile, Parliament through its Committee on Agriculture says it is ready to support the Bill once it gets into the august House.

“We should understand that the right to food is not the right to be fed but it’s a right that government has to put in mechanisms and implement those mechanisms.

And this what we are going to fight on as a Committee so that this Bill is brought back to Parliament worked on and pass,” pledged Sameer Suleiman, the Committee Chairperson.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *