By Clever Mwale:
The government has declared that it is ready to roll out the commercial farmers fertiliser scheme, with Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale unveiling details of how fertiliser will be sold.
Speaking during a press briefing held at Santhe Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) shop in Kasungu Tuesday, Kawale said, under the new initiative, farmers will access fertiliser at K90,000 per 50 kilogramme (kg) bag.
Each farmer will be allowed to buy four bags—two of Urea and two of NPK—per season, he said.
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The minister emphasised that unlike fertiliser under the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP), this is not a capped subsidy but a commercial scheme meant to meet the demand of all farmers who register.
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“There is no overall target. If fertiliser comes in, it will go straight to the people,” he told the gathering at Santhe.
Kawale said 1.5 million smallholder farmers are expected to benefit directly this year, with more farmers likely to join as deliveries expand.
He said more than 5,000 bags are already stocked at Santhe depot.
To kickstart distribution, he said, the government has secured over 300,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser from United Fertiliser Capital of Zambia.
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This bulk purchase, Kawale said, ensures adequate supply across the country.
The minister said measures have been put in place to avoid delays and shortages that marred other programmes.
Kawale said fertiliser consignments have already been dispatched to regions before the rains start to guarantee timely availability.
He also said farmer registration would involve land verification by agricultural extension workers and officials from the Ministry of Lands.
Kawale said only those with cultivable land will qualify.
The minister also highlighted livestock support under the programme.
Starting this year, he indicated, smallholder farmers will receive five goats each—up from two in past initiatives—with Salima and Mwanza districts being the first beneficiaries.
Senior Group Chigodi, who represented Senior Chief Santhe at the briefing, said the programme has the potential to end hunger in the area by encouraging people to scale up into large-scale farming.
