The Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) has begun paying K495 million in compensation to 110 former employees following a court ruling over unfair labour practices, according to Nation Online. Records indicate that the State produce trader has paid K383 million in four instalments so far, leaving a balance of K112 million. A legal representative for Admarc confirmed that the final payment will be cleared by the end of October. The employees, who had served in acting management roles between 2018 and 2020, took legal action after being retrenched in early 2023.
In regional developments, Malawi and Mozambique have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on sanitary and phytosanitary measures to ease agricultural trade, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation reports. The agreement is designed to reduce cross-border trade barriers while safeguarding human, animal, and plant health.
Update: Agriculture Minister Roza Mbilizi is facing renewed public scrutiny as the Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme (FISP) rollout continues to stall ahead of the planting season, according to Nyasa Times. Although district councils have reportedly received FISP coupons, distribution to intended beneficiaries remains frozen. Agricultural experts have warned that the delays threaten farming preparations, particularly because the government-promoted Mbeya fertiliser requires precise application timing to decompose and ferment. Under the current programme, beneficiary farmers are expected to contribute K10,000 for a package of certified maize seed and K20,000 for each 50-kilogram bag of fertiliser.