By Pemphero Malimba:
The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture has bemoaned secrecy on issues to do with 2024-25 Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) implementation.
Committee chairperson Sameer Suleman told The Daily Times that they were in the dark on strides made in programme implementation.
“At the moment, we do not know the exact number of beneficiaries, where they are buying the fertiliser and where the money we approved for AIP in Parliament is,” Suleman said.
He said the secrecy could create fertile ground for speculation.
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“What we know is that there are secret deals going on between the Ministry [of Agriculture] and other companies, where the government wants to buy fertiliser at a higher price of $1,200 per tonne while other suppliers are ready to sell us fertiliser at $800 per tonne. As such, we wonder about what is going on with our money,” he said.
Suleman said delays to bring inputs could compromise production prospects in the 2024-25 rain-fed agriculture year.
“Fertiliser should have been coming into the country by now. The list of beneficiaries should have been out by now but that is not the case,” he said.
He said there was a need for the Ministry of Agriculture to furnish Malawians with information on the programme.
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“Can the minister come out clear; let him come out with a statement that will indicate all the information that Malawians need to know about the AIP,” he said.
On his part, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale said all AIP processes were concluded.
“We are actually done. Just waiting to make announcements,” Kawale said.
He said the ministry would update Malawians soon on the programme.
“I will do so at an appropriate time,” he said after we asked him about when the programme would be rolled out.
At least 1.1 million people are expected to get inputs under AIP this season, down from 1.5 million during last agricultural season.
Among other things, the Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi is expected to procure 52,000 metric tonnes (mt) of NPK and 52,000mt of Urea fertiliser in this year’s AIP.
