By Cathy Maulidi:
President Lazarus Chakwera has assured farmers in the country that his government will address the various challenges they face, including those under the flagship Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP).
Chakwera made the commitment Friday during a meeting with Farmers Union of Malawi (Fum) officials at Kamuzu Palace.
He was responding to concerns which Fum president, Maness Nkhata, raised regarding the plight of farmers in Malawi.
Nkhata commended the government for its efforts in investing in AIP and negotiating with the World Bank for the second phase of the Agriculture Commercialisation of Malawi (Agcom) programme.
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But she said government needs to do more to address challenges rocking the sector and restricting farmers from reaping what they sow.
“The AIP has enabled our farmers to access inputs, but the delayed delivery of these inputs has rendered the programme ineffective,” Nkhata said.
She also highlighted the issue of market failure, where farmers are exploited by buyers offering lower prices, and she requested the government to intervene.
According to Nkhata, there are many challenges farmers face in accessing the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) market.
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“What I’m saying Your Excellency is that NFRA market is reserved for traders and not farmers. Because by the time maize will have naturally the right moisture content, which will be around August or September, farmers will have already sold their maize stock to traders, who usually offer low prices. Farmers sell their maize to vendors because NFRA rejects their maize.
“We request you, Your Excellency, to ensure that NFRA invests in drying facilities so that they offer market services to farmers on time,” Nkhata said.
Nkhata further requested the government to link local farmers to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to enable them to sell their produce to the United States and other foreign markets directly.
Nkhata also highlighted limited access to irrigation, lack of affordable and tailor-made finance and lack of access to agriculture mechanization among the challenges.
In response, Chakwera assured the farmers that his government is committed to addressing the challenges facing the sector.
“We recognise the importance of the agriculture sector in achieving food security and driving economic growth, and we will work towards addressing the challenges you have highlighted. I want farmers to have a good life and your children to have good future,” he said.
During the meeting, Fum requested the government to declare a Farmers’ Day to celebrate and recognize the contributions of farmers to the country’s food security and economic growth.
