There are fears that this year’s Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) will face serious challenges in terms of implementation as government has so far only secured 16 261 metric tonnes of fertiliser out of the 104 000 metric tonnes needed.
Government is currently banking on 36 671.50 metric tonnes of fertiliser that is still under collateral to improve the stocks for AIP fertiliser.
However this cannot be distributed until it is paid for, a thing which will increase the numbers to 53 997.50 metric tonnes—which is still way below the 104 000 metric tonnes that is required.
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Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) chief executive officer Richard Chikunkhuzeni has told the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture that there is slow progress in supply of fertiliser despite that government adjusted prices after suppliers’ demands.
“The AIP suppliers requested for the contracted prices to be adjusted soon after contracts were awarded. Negotiations prolonged but eventually government accepted the requested price adjustments,” said Chikunkhuzeni.
Parliamentary committee on Agriculture chairperson Sameer Suleman has expressed worry over the progress of the AIP saying this year’s AIP will be the worst as government has not secured enough fertiliser to distribute to farmers. He wondered what government has been doing since May to only have 16 261 metric tonnes.
Suleman has also alleged that some suppliers do not have fertiliser and are resorting to giving beneficiaries K30 000 for a bag of fertiliser. He said this is happening in some parts of the Southern Region.
He has called on SFFRFM to investigate and address the matter.
Government hired 23 companies to supply fertiliser for this year’s AIP which is targeting 1 054 945 beneficiaries.
As of November 4 2024, government had managed to distribute 10 403.20 metric tonnes of fertiliser across the country but some districts are yet to benefit.
