By Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Agriculture has put Central Poultry (CP) 2000 Ltd under pressure, demanding that the company justify its conduct following serious accusations that it is crippling the poultry businesses of smallholder farmers across Malawi.
The directive comes after the Smallholder Poultry Farmers Association (SPFA) lodged a formal complaint, alleging that CP has been offloading its chickens directly into local markets — a move they say is pushing thousands of small farmers out of business. The escalating tension forced the Ministry to convene an urgent meeting in Blantyre.
SPFA president Ernest Wyson said Central Poultry’s involvement in direct market sales is undermining the very farmers who depend on poultry as their primary source of income. He argued that a company of CP’s size should not compete with small-scale farmers in the same markets, stressing that its dominance distorts prices and destabilizes the entire poultry value chain.
“Central Poultry should focus on production, not on hijacking markets meant for small farmers,” Wyson insisted, adding that the current situation threatens the survival of thousands of families engaged in poultry farming nationwide.
But in a defensive response, Central Poultry’s Head of Sales, Jessica Lonjezo Kadzakumanja, denied any wrongdoing. She claimed the company does not directly sell chickens in the markets but instead supplies them to about 6,000 resellers who operate independently. Critics, however, say this explanation is merely an attempt to deflect responsibility, arguing that CP’s massive supply still floods the markets, driving prices down to levels small farmers cannot compete with.
Kadzakumanja maintained that CP values its relationship with Malawians, yet many farmers feel the opposite — that the company’s practices are pushing them out rather than supporting them.
As the Ministry of Agriculture continues to assess the matter, smallholder farmers are calling for stricter regulations to stop large corporations from dominating informal markets and choking the very farmers the sector is supposed to uplift.
