Africa-Press – Malawi. Maladministration and corruption top the list of challenges which have been affecting effective implementation of the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) in recent years.
This was the general observation of contributors to Times Radio’s ‘Times Talk’ on Tuesday. The input followed sentiments by the Agriculture Committee of Parliament that the country has 14,000 metric tonnes (mt) of fertiliser against a demand of 400,000 mt.
The committee expressed worry over delays by the government to procure inputs for this season. About 38.7 percent of people who contributed through phone calls and SMS said the government should either act with speed or notify Malawians that the programme will not be implemented this year.
About 58 people out of 173 who participated in the programme called for abolishment of the programme, claiming it has proven ineffective. Agriculture expert Tamani Nkhono Mvula said, already, the silence from the government on the programme shows a dilemma.
“I do not subscribe to the idea of scrapping the programme because the last 20 years of implementing agriculture subsidies have been a time of surplus harvests mainly because smallholder farmers had access to inputs.
“What is needed is to ensure proper identification of beneficiaries and proper administration of the programme,” Mvula said.
He said the government must come out clear with its intentions on the programme this season for potential beneficiaries to look out for alternatives in an event that there are changes.
Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe did not respond to a WhatsApp message for a comment on the matter. Again, spokesperson in the Ministry Grecian Lungu declined to comment.
Last year, the government planned to procure 371 million kilogrammes (kg) (7,420,000 bags) for 3.7 million families targeted under the programme. But not all of them accessed the inputs due to supply irregularities.
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