By Kingsley Jassi:
Uncertainty over access to affordable agricultural inputs may affect productivity in the sector and push more people into food insecurity and poverty, experts have warned.
The new government is yet to provide policy directions on existing inputs supply initiatives namely Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP), National Economic Empowerment (Neef) inputs loans and Mega Farms initiative.
All these cost over K300 billion from the national budget despite the country suffering a 20 percent food deficit.
With the cost of certified maize seed pegged at over K130,000 for an acre and fertiliser costing above K150,000, total production and post-harvest costs— factoring in varying expenses—are getting closer to K2 million.
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Mwapata Policy Institute Executive Director William Chadza expressed worry, at the onset of the rain season, that there was uncertainty.
“Uncertainty could affect planning for the category of farmers that depend on input subsidy programmes, unless there is clarity. This could lead to potential low production and create food shortages in the coming season,” Chadza said.
However, he urged the government to focus on diversification of production into other food and cash crops to minimise production pressure.
“Expand investments in areas with higher benefit-cost ratio interventions such as supporting farmers that are going into commercial farming; expanding investments in irrigation; investing in soil health restoration by integrating organic and inorganic fertilisers as complements,” Chadza said.
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The three existing initiatives had a combined expenditure of over K300 billion in the national budget but the government is expected to spend more money to import maize to cover the food deficit, as announced by President Peter Mutharika.
Another agriculture policy expert, Tamani Nkhono Mvula, urged the authorities to maintain some of the programmes.
“What the government needs to focus on is to ensure importation of enough fertiliser and that smallholder farmers access it at affordable prices as a short-term measure,” Nkhono Mvula said.
He called on the authorities to design a long-term programme that could efficiently address the issue of inputs access for both commercial and subsistence farmers.
