AHL to retrench 40% of its staff as one way of restructuring, while the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) has disapproved of the move.

AHL is a subsidiary of Admarc, as Admarc Board Chairperson Alexander Kusamba Dzonzi called the retrenchment plan “imperative”. He then ordered AHL to fix the financial mess at Malawi Leaf first where money amounting to 42 billion Kwacha is said to have gone missing before proceeding to retrench what he called innocent junior staff members.

AHL has all along been facing financial problems, a development that at one time saw staff members closing the company’s offices after going for months without being paid. Admarc loaned AHL a sum of K6 billion, to sort out payment arrears and more, while Admarc is struggling to pay farmers for their produce.