One of the villagers, John Galimoto told Zodiak Online Saturday that apart from buying 50 kilograms of the staple grain at K45, 000, the maize is very bitter.

Galimoto said people are suspecting that the vendors have hit the market selling the maize very early to make fortunes while pesticides applied are yet to lose their strength.

"The maize is very bitter. And we are very scared on what would be the situation come this December to February next year where normally hunger affects many people. We are suspecting so many things on what could be the problem with the maize," he said.

Senior Group Village Headman Kabayi said the situation needs urgent attention, fearing for malnutrition in his subjects that are currently relying on millet to survive.

"It is true that hunger has severely hit, Kabayi, Mkwata, Loti areas including many in Mphuka headquarters. Government should step in because the situation may result in severe malnutrition and drail development activities since people are busy searching for piece works to buy food," GVH Kabayi pleaded.

On Thursday last week, agriculture minister, Sam Kawale told parliament that government would stock the Agricultural Development and Market Corporation (ADMARC) depots with maize by the weekend, in readiness for the market opening this week.

Similarly, two weeks ago, Minister of information Moses Kumkuyu told a rally in Thyolo that President Chakwera had ordered that U$10 million received from the World Bank should be used to procure 9,000 metric tonnes of maize to distribute the hunger-stricken Malawians.

This also comes as the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) has estimated that 4.4 million Malawians are likely to face hunger in the 2023/24 consumption period, representing 22 percent of the country’s projected population of 19.6 million.