Malawi president denies crisis on maize stocks

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has denied the country is running out of maize despite a report that two people starved to death, and opposition claims that the government sold too much of its maize to Zimbabwe.

Wa Mutharika said late on Saturday the Southern African nation had enough maize to feed its people for a year, and accused the opposition of spreading lies.

"I promised Malawi to turn it into a hunger-free nation. I promised to turn Malawi from a net importer of food into a net exporter of food, and we have achieved this," he told the Farmers Union of Malawi.

"Even when we say there is food security, there will still be some people who will go hungry."

The independent Zodiak Radio station reported last week that two people died of hunger in the central town of Ntchisi. The deaths were later confirmed by authorities in the district.

Malawi, one of the poorest nations in the world, started rationing the sale of maize last week following a report in parliament that the country's stocks are dwindling as heavy flooding wiped out many crops.

The floods could ease expected economic growth of more than seven percent after years of strong expansion fuelled largely by good maize harvests, economic reforms and an increase in aid.

Malawi harvested 3.1 million tonnes of maize in the last planting season, its biggest in 10 years. The government exported 400,000 tonnes to neighbouring Zimbabwe, which is battling a chronic economic crisis.

U.N. agencies in the country estimate that a million or more people may need food aid as floods continue to destroy crop fields in 14 districts. About 72,000 people have been left homeless and six killed by flooding.

The main opposition Malawi Congress Party has accused the administration of selling off too much maize stock to Zimbabwe.

"We had warned the government not to sell 400,000 tonnes to Zimbabwe at our expense and now this is what is happening. We ask them to stop exporting with immediate effect," MCP President John Tembo said.