The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture is demanding the resignation of Sam Kawale as Minister of Agriculture, citing the ministry’s failure to effectively manage the Affordable Input Program (AIP).

This demand comes just a day after Kawale announced that the initiative would commence next week, targeting about one million beneficiaries.

Kawale indicated that beneficiaries will purchase UREA and NPK fertilizer at 15,000 kwacha per 50-kilogram bag.

Meanwhile, authorities have contracted eleven companies to distribute seeds and seventy-seven companies to transport inputs.

However, Sameer Sulemani, Chairperson of the Committee, expressed concerns that the AIP program has not benefited the country as intended over the years.

Sulemani also accused authorities of, allegedly, providing false information to the public, claiming that the government has procured sufficient fertilizer when, in fact, it has not.