Africa-Press – Malawi. Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale has disclosed that government has engaged the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to assist in delivering fertiliser to hard-to-reach locations in the country.
The development comes as transporters are reportedly shunning delivering the commodities to some remote places. Kawale said Wednesday that MDF trucks have been loaded and are on the way to Chitipa and Rumphi to deliver fertiliser.
“Delivery of fertiliser has gained tremendous pace the last four days and more trucks are arriving,” the minister said.
MDF spokesperson Emmanuel Mlelemba confirmed Wednesday that the defence institution, known for coming in during moments of extreme stress, is providing support in delivering the commodity.
On Monday agriculture policy expert Tamani Nkhono Mvula pointed out that the failure to distribute fertiliser on time was a sign that the country was failing to learn from the past when similar incidents were prevalent.
Nkhono Mvula observed that distribution during December and January has always faced challenges because of the rains which often render some roads impassable.
“This is a problem that happens almost every year. This shows that there is no proper planning when the roads are passable. We need delivery to be done in time for AIP to be of beneficial,” he said.
He was commenting on reports that farmers in Nthalire risked not accessing AIP inputs as transporters were reportedly refusing to take their vehicles to the area due to the poor conditions of roads leading there.
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