Trucks carrying fertiliser from Zambia have started arriving at the Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) warehouses in Lilongwe and Blantyre.
The Daily Times can report that over 107 trucks carrying NPK fertiliser from United Capital Fertiliser, manufactured in Lusaka, supplied by logistics company East Bridge, arrived on Friday and Saturday.
The Agriculture Committee of Parliament recently recommended that the government settle for East Bridge fertiliser in response to the current fertiliser crisis, which has affected both commercial operations and the delivery of the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP).
The Daily Times further understands that Deputy Agriculture Minister Benedicto Chambo visited SFFRFM on Friday to witness the arrival of the first trucks.
- Advertisement -
SFFRFM spokesperson Grace Thipa confirmed the start of fertiliser deliveries, with the first trucks arriving on Friday.
- Advertisement -
She said that while the fertiliser is primarily intended for commercial purposes, SFFRFM had decided to allocate some trucks to AIP due to the programme’s critical needs.
“It is primarily for SFFRFM’s commercial operations. However, recognising the significant need of AIP, we have prioritised supplying initial quantities to the programme,” Thipa said.
Chairperson of the Agriculture Committee of Parliament, Sameer Suleman, commended SFFRFM’s decision but insisted on the importance of timely fertiliser delivery to AIP beneficiaries.
“It is positive that the fertiliser is being directed towards AIP. As you know, the rains have already commenced. Expedited delivery of fertiliser is crucial to salvage the situation and enhance our agriculture output,” Suleman said.
- Advertisement -
He further said the country is at what he called a critical juncture where fertiliser is urgently needed to sustain AIP.
“While the arrival of fertiliser is welcome news, the reported tonnage is relatively small compared to our current demand. We urge the government to increase the tonnage and expedite the flow of fertiliser to effectively address the situation,” he said.
East Bridge Chief Executive Officer, Cristian Constantin, said that they hope to supply 171,500 metric tonnes of fertiliser by the end of May 2025, which will help increase production capacity and also support the demand for mega farms’ winter crops.
In November last year, the Agriculture Committee of Parliament disclosed that it had changed its stance on the East Bridge deal and advised the government to purchase fertiliser from the company.
This followed a series of meetings where committee members met with the company’s officials and SFFRFM regarding the issue.
Last year, committee members opposed the East Bridge fertiliser deal and called for investigations into the matter.
They later indicated that it was the “best option for Malawi”.
“We have changed our position on the East Bridge deal after meeting all involved parties, including those from East Bridge itself,” Suleman said that time.
According to Suleman, after meeting with all stakeholders, they realised that East Bridge was offering fertiliser at a good price and that the commodity was ready for distribution.
“At the moment, the government has signed contracts with nearly 30 suppliers, but there is nothing to show for it. This is November, but we do not have enough fertiliser to distribute to our farmers,” he said.
