By Mercy Matonga
A local firm, Fisd Limited, and the Ministry of Agriculture have differed on the execution of a K13.6 billion contract for the company to supply portable solar-powered water pumps under the National Irrigation Services initiative.
The ministry says it has launched an audit into the contract after the company did not supply 756 out of 800 pumps it was supposed to deliver within the term of the contract.
Ministry officials disclosed this during an appearance before the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
According to the ministry report, Fisd Limited was contracted to supply, deliver, install and train farmers in the use of solar-powered water pump systems within a period of 13 weeks up to October 29, 2025.
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The ministry further said the company failed to deliver the pumps on time because it could not secure foreign exchange to pay suppliers.
“First delivery was done in January, 2026 and by now, 44 pumps have been delivered. Currently, the issue is being audited to provide the way forward,” further reads the report.
In response to our questions on the matter, the company’s director, Frank Mwenechanya, shifted blame to the ministry.
He accused it of causing the delays through lack of foreign exchange support and failure by ministry officials to provide implementation sites.
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Mwenechanya said government awarded the contract on July 30, 2025 following a tender process.
He said despite writing repeatedly to the ministry for assistance, the company did not get any foreign currency support to facilitate payments to suppliers.
“Up to date no single USD has been sourced despite writing the ministry for intervention,” he said.
The contractor also claimed that the ministry has allocated only four sites for the installation works.
“Currently we have all the pumps in the country but the ministry is not giving us sites to implement the contract,” he said.
However, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Erica Maganga, maintained that the ministry is auditing the contract to determine the next course of action.
“The period for the contract has also ended and we are now trying to find the way forward on what we are going to do as the ministry,” said Maganga.
Under the arrangement, farmers access irrigation equipment through financing mechanisms coordinated under the National Economic Empowerment Fund (now Malawi Economic Development Fund), which has been supporting agricultural mechanisation and irrigation programmes targeting youth groups, cooperatives and smallholder farmers.
The solar-powered water pumps were expected to help expand irrigation farming and improve food production among beneficiary farmers across the country.
