FISP delays, Minister blames suppliers
Government has admitted that farm input programme has delayed this year and heaped the blame on suppliers and marketers.
Minister of Agriculture Allan Chiyembekeza however said the delay will not affect the programme.
“We will roll out next week, we were disappointed by our suppliers and marketers,” said the minister in an interview.
The programme is tailored and benefits subsistence farmers and each pack contains fertilizer, seeds and legumes costing the farmer K3000 up from K500.
The programme has widely been applauded by donors who attribute the country’s food security to the farm in put programme although the World Bank has advised the government to start thinking of exit means as the programme is now pegged at K80b a year, a staggering figure in an economic crisis.
Chiyembekeza said the number of beneficiaries has been slashed from four million to 1.5 million as a cost cutting measure.
He said 20000 metric tonnes of fertilizer has already been delivered to markets and all the consignment would be delivered before the onset of the planting rains.
The minister also said the reduction of the beneficiaries will in no way affect crop production in the country.
The farm input programme is a highly political and sensitive issue in Malawi. Just this week, President Peter Mutharika said he had information that the opposition in parliament want to block the programme from continuing but he did not say how, a claim swiftly denied the opposition accusing the president merely seeking to divert people’s attention from real issues.
Why do you use middlemen? That’s why they say they give you kick backs. Buy straight from suppliers.It is cheaper that way and convenient. The private sector is milking you. Please use taxpayers money wisely.
We have a very incompetent govt. Fertilizer should have been delivered in Sept/Oct. You can’t blame suppliers. U have to take responsibility. Next year don’t outsource FISIP. Use Admarc to procure fertiliser.Eliminate middlemen.
Fisp yakunwelani a dpp
Total disaster!!!!
Planning is very big issue with this Dpp govt.They always look for solutions during the last minute.They are always aware that this Fisp happens every year.Where were they all this time?Do you want an outbreak of hunger in Malawi?Even rich countries like USA,Britain,France subsidies their farmers.Rains have started and start rolling the programme as soon as possible.
Its already November and the rains have started in most parts of Malawi.By December most roads will be impassable by the heavy rains as predicted by the meteriological dept.That’s being unfair to the poor subsistence farmers who relies on Fisp.The Govt should find solutions before another big hunger breaks next year that would cost them more to feed the hungry people than the budgeted 80 billion.They are playing a Russian rollette with the lives of the Malawian poor farmers.