Malawi?s summer crop harvest is almost complete, and the rainy season is essentially over. Household food security has improved; household stocks are high, and market demand and consumer prices are low. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has conducted the third round agricultural production estimate survey; the results will be released mid-June. Malawi expects its second consecutive bumper harvest this season. Farmers began planting winter crops in March and April, and will continue planting until July and August. The first winter harvests begin in August and continue through December. The winter crop improves household food security at the onset of the lean months (January and February).
Food aid distributions in response to the needs identified by the 2006/07 Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) are now complete as households have food from their own production. The food aid program was extended by one month into April 2007 to prevent the need for households to consume their food crops prematurely. The food aid program was generally a success, meeting all of the identified needs. The MVAC has just finished their 2007/08 food security assessment to determine areas that may need food aid assistance this season. The results will be released soon.
ADMARC has not yet started buying maize as the private traders are now doing. However, market activity in maize has generally been low; traders fear a weak market for their produce due to the favorable household food security following the recent harvest. However, as the moisture content drops further, trade in maize is expected to increase as traders stock up to fulfill contractual obligations to the national Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) for exports to Zimbabwe and other future export contracts. This increase in maize trade activity is expected to strengthen the market, pushing up local market prices.
Monday, 25 June 2007
COMESA urges free movement of maize across borders
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has urged member states to allow free movement of maize by implementing the "maize without borders" concept to ensure food security and promote trade in the region.
"As a staple food crop in a number of COMESA countries, the unimpeded movement of maize from surplus to deficit areas is critical to ensuring sustained regional food security," Comesa said in a report.
It noted that free trade in maize was being hampered by periodic import and export restrictions imposed by member countries.
COMESA said the solution to such challenges lay in the speedy implementation of the "maize without borders" strategy that had already been adopted by the bloc to remove trade barriers in the movement of maize across member states.
"Such a development will also recognise and formalise the important role played by small cross-border traders in the movement of maize across borders."
Apart from being a staple food, maize is one of COMESA's leading export commodities.
According to recent United Nations trade data, maize accounts for more than 50 percent of the region's total grain imports.
COMESA said for the region to fully realise its potential in maize production, serious consideration towards investment in agro-processing should be made.
Such a development, it said, would enable COMESA to add value to raw maize grain and boost export sales.
"Investing in agro-processing will enable the bloc to add value to raw maize grain, thus allowing local goods to compete on the international market," it said.
Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo are COMESA's major importers of agricultural commodities while Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Egypt are the top five leading exporters of farming products.
The 20 member COMESA region, has an estimated combined population of 400 million people and covers an area of over 12 million square kilometres, compared to the Southern African Development Community's estimated 9.8 million square kilometre area and 233 million people.
The two organisations have overlapping memberships.
COMESA member countries are Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
SADC's 14 member countries are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
"As a staple food crop in a number of COMESA countries, the unimpeded movement of maize from surplus to deficit areas is critical to ensuring sustained regional food security," Comesa said in a report.
It noted that free trade in maize was being hampered by periodic import and export restrictions imposed by member countries.
COMESA said the solution to such challenges lay in the speedy implementation of the "maize without borders" strategy that had already been adopted by the bloc to remove trade barriers in the movement of maize across member states.
"Such a development will also recognise and formalise the important role played by small cross-border traders in the movement of maize across borders."
Apart from being a staple food, maize is one of COMESA's leading export commodities.
According to recent United Nations trade data, maize accounts for more than 50 percent of the region's total grain imports.
COMESA said for the region to fully realise its potential in maize production, serious consideration towards investment in agro-processing should be made.
Such a development, it said, would enable COMESA to add value to raw maize grain and boost export sales.
"Investing in agro-processing will enable the bloc to add value to raw maize grain, thus allowing local goods to compete on the international market," it said.
Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo are COMESA's major importers of agricultural commodities while Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Egypt are the top five leading exporters of farming products.
The 20 member COMESA region, has an estimated combined population of 400 million people and covers an area of over 12 million square kilometres, compared to the Southern African Development Community's estimated 9.8 million square kilometre area and 233 million people.
The two organisations have overlapping memberships.
COMESA member countries are Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
SADC's 14 member countries are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Cross-border pioneer Celtel eyes Sudan, Malawi, Zambia
Mobile telephone operator Celtel International plans to add three more countries — Sudan, Malawi and Zambia — into its One Network coverage plan.
Only a few weeks ago, the company expanded the One Network to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon.
Meanwhile, its competitors in East Africa — MTN in Uganda, Safaricom in Kenya and Vodacom in Tanzania — have responded to its cross-border network by abolishing roaming charges among their customers and lowering charges.
Celtel operates in Malawi and Zambia on the group brand but as Mobitel in Sudan. This is in addition to its coverage in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Despite its presence in all these countries, it needs an international gateway in some countries like Zambia — a requirement for the One Network plan to work. This could delay its rollout in the country.
Sources told The EastAfrican that it took Celtel 18 months of planning the regional network initiative that was launched in September last year. Its extension to Libreville, Gabon, took another nine months, creating over 160,000 points where customers can buy airtime.
Officials say it will take even less time to cover the remaining three countries, once the company gets past their diverse tax regimes and other technical legalities.
“We are working to make the process faster; it will take less time than it took us to spread from the east to the west coast,” said Celtel’s One Network programme director, George Held.
Celtel officials say the number of subscribers in the six countries covered under its One Network plan stood at 7.5 million at the end of April this year. The addition of another three countries would bring the figure close to 12 million subscribers in a population of about 250 million people.
Industry estimates put Celtel’s share of the market on the continent at 20 million customers which puts it third behind South Africa’s MTN (36.1 million) and Vodacom (25 million).
Celtel’s recent move has jolted Uganda Telecom (UTL) into negotiating a deal with Safaricom, to phase out its old roaming profile for its mobile brand in Kenya.
UTL marketing manager Levi Nyakundi told The EastAfrican that the new deal will allow the company’s prepaid and postpaid customers to receive calls free of charge and make calls at local rates when travelling abroad. Customers, he said, are charged the equivalent of their local call profiles, but the service is still limited to Kenya.
“We are also negotiating with Vodacom to provide the same service,” Mr Nyakundi added. UTL has invested close to $50 million to expand its network.
This rush for innovative means to attract customers has also seen Uganda’s MTN launch WiMax broadband Internet for upcountry users.
Last year, MTN chief commercial officer Eric Van Veen said the company had plans of bringing RwandaCell — MTN’s subsidiary in Rwanda — onto its East African network in a bid to build an even wider network in the region.
Only a few weeks ago, the company expanded the One Network to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon.
Meanwhile, its competitors in East Africa — MTN in Uganda, Safaricom in Kenya and Vodacom in Tanzania — have responded to its cross-border network by abolishing roaming charges among their customers and lowering charges.
Celtel operates in Malawi and Zambia on the group brand but as Mobitel in Sudan. This is in addition to its coverage in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Despite its presence in all these countries, it needs an international gateway in some countries like Zambia — a requirement for the One Network plan to work. This could delay its rollout in the country.
Sources told The EastAfrican that it took Celtel 18 months of planning the regional network initiative that was launched in September last year. Its extension to Libreville, Gabon, took another nine months, creating over 160,000 points where customers can buy airtime.
Officials say it will take even less time to cover the remaining three countries, once the company gets past their diverse tax regimes and other technical legalities.
“We are working to make the process faster; it will take less time than it took us to spread from the east to the west coast,” said Celtel’s One Network programme director, George Held.
Celtel officials say the number of subscribers in the six countries covered under its One Network plan stood at 7.5 million at the end of April this year. The addition of another three countries would bring the figure close to 12 million subscribers in a population of about 250 million people.
Industry estimates put Celtel’s share of the market on the continent at 20 million customers which puts it third behind South Africa’s MTN (36.1 million) and Vodacom (25 million).
Celtel’s recent move has jolted Uganda Telecom (UTL) into negotiating a deal with Safaricom, to phase out its old roaming profile for its mobile brand in Kenya.
UTL marketing manager Levi Nyakundi told The EastAfrican that the new deal will allow the company’s prepaid and postpaid customers to receive calls free of charge and make calls at local rates when travelling abroad. Customers, he said, are charged the equivalent of their local call profiles, but the service is still limited to Kenya.
“We are also negotiating with Vodacom to provide the same service,” Mr Nyakundi added. UTL has invested close to $50 million to expand its network.
This rush for innovative means to attract customers has also seen Uganda’s MTN launch WiMax broadband Internet for upcountry users.
Last year, MTN chief commercial officer Eric Van Veen said the company had plans of bringing RwandaCell — MTN’s subsidiary in Rwanda — onto its East African network in a bid to build an even wider network in the region.
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