Malawi crop inspection report projects maize bumper harvest: Chakwera hails AIP for ‘3 times a day’ meals against all odds
President Lazarus Chakwera has expressed delight with a crop inspection report that Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe presented to him on Tuesday which has projected a bumper yield due to his Tonse Alliance government’s flagship Affordable Input Program (AIP).
The report was presented at Kamuzu Palace in which the ministry beamed a video documentary depicting the status of crops across the country’s eight agriculture development divisions (ADDs), namely Karonga, Mzuzu, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Salima, Machinga, Blantyre and the Shire Valley.
Minister of Information Gospel Kazako led in presentation of the documentary report.
The President said the AIP will help to end the endless circles of food shortages the Country has been experiencing in the past.
He said the increased maize production signalled that the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM party election campaign promises as highlighted in the manifesto pledges which were touted by the Tonse Alliance on food security status has been fulfilled.
Chakwera said MCP and UTM manifestoes promised affordable farm inputs on page 30 and 36 respectively.
“The AIP is a fulfilment of our promise,” said Chakwera.
Chakwera said the report allowed him to hear directly from farmers across the country.
“From what the farmers are saying, it is clear that they are not only happy with what they are witnessing in their fields, but the capacity it gives them to feed themselves three times a day and the opportunity they now have to sell the access maize and have money in their pockets as see for tomorrow,” said Chakwera.
The President said Malawians must be judges on whether AIP has served them better and not be influenced by opinion of other stakeholders
“When it comes to measuring success of the programme, what matters is not the opinion of politicians, opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture, opinion of foreigners, political parties or the opinion of the President. When it comes to the success of this programme, what matters is the opinion of the farmer,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Minister Lowe said the Tonse Alliance government facilitated access of over 242,000 metric tons of fertilizers for 3.4 million smallholder farmers through AIP and was pleased that Malawi will register bumper harvest for both food security and markets.
Lowe said President Chakwera “against all odds”, launched the AIP in October 2020.
“Being a man of action who doesn’t get carried away by the means to an end but rather the results, you commissioned the crop inspection tour ti appreciate not only the outturn of AIP, but the general crop outlook to help plan for the consumption season ahead,” said Lowe.
AIP replaced the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) implemented by the previous Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration since 2006 which was associated with a number of challenges, including fraud, corruption and logistical issues especially in hard-to-reach areas.
Initially sold as universal subsidy by the Tonse Alliance during the campaign, the initiative turned out to be a near five-fold expansion of Fisp that only targeted 900 000 farming families for less than K30 billion per year while AIP is covering 4.2 million households for K158.3 billion at a much lower redemption price.
Every smallholder farming household is entitled to a 50-kilogramme (kg) bag of NPK; a 50-kg bag of Urea; either five-kg of maize seed or seven-kg of sorghum or seven kg of rice seed, depending on the farmer’s preference.
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Use statistics not pictures for evidence based decision making. Wait for crop estimates from your ministry.
Ok.well done AIP.But we need the cabinet with Lowe retaining his seat but demoted 2 people: Chimwendo Banda and Eisenhower Mkaka.They are thieves and self centred. Remove the Deputy minister of Transport, Nancy Choola Mdooko.
At least one UTM promise which was hijacked by the dull MCP has been partially fulfilled. Hopefully the rest promises will follow suit. Chakwera is excited because he feels relieved since he thinks this is an achievement after having nothing to show after 9 – 10 months in office. His management style lacks and it is archaic in nature. Has this praise singing been sanctioned and gauged by WFP agencies? Let us wait and hear from them first because they are the ones who can professionally come up with pragmatic assessments, not these political hearsays cooked-up by Chakwera lapdogs. Usually… Read more »
We ask the government to reconsider , network problem which was experienced in the past season
He doesn’t know what he is saying. Forgive him!
While it is good to celebrate this news… I feel it was better is this report was independently verified by other competent teams of evaluators.
And we can’t talk about campaign manifesto being fulfilled with one harvest for one year. It has to be fulfilled throughout the 5-year period.
Munthu wa Mulungu mpaka kuchita conclude nkhani ya bumper harvest without mentioning God because of the good rains mmmmmmmmm zomvesa chisoni ndithu. Munthu wa Mulungu wakokolokatu uyu. Kapena MCP inayamba kugwetsa mvula hetini?
Komanso abale chimanga nkukhala achievement yomatumbwa nayo? Kuchokela kalekale ife timadya nsima ife inuuuuuuu! Achievement timakamba za zinthu zoti zinaliko 1964 and beyond?
Mukamagulitsa chimanga chomwe Mulungu wa Kumwamba watidalitsa nacho musaiwale kuti kwina sanakolole ata pang’ono
kodi mudakalirabe kuluza kwa gogo wanu uja?
Wakolola ndani mabodza ndi pa Nyasa panopomwe?
Not all Malawians benefited from AIP so also praise those who have done it by themselves.
You are just bitter my friend! you mean all including you? can you at once be sober and be some one different man! the joy of those few in the midst of millions projected here is our joy too! osamachita anga Galu!
That is absolutely total lie. Not all local farmers have adequate maize. Move around first before kumatumbwatumbwa. Most local farmers have not benefited from AIP. AIP was full of corrupt practices. If ever the farmers did it, it was by themselves. Move in all regions of Malawi and see if everyone has enough to eat. Do not cheat yourself, you are a disgrace to Malawi nation.
Kodi inu mufuna Boma lizibwela kudzalima pamunda wanu? you think we dont know kuti unamwela kachasu Fertilizer amene uja?900,000 beneficiaries to 3.4 million, you dont see any change here? inuso kugwetsa ulesi bwanji? kodi fodyayu amangitsanso anthu kukhala madzi eni eni chonchi?
AIP is the poor, not you. Kudzolowera kuba etiiii. mufuna zaulere pomwe you can afford. Lets kill this attitude. it is the one making Malawi poorer and poorer.
Good harvest Mr presdint and ur team
holaoesha, you mean everyone who bought on his own is a thief? By the way does Malawi need more beneficiaries or more people who can buy on their own? It seems you are a boot licker and a liability to the nation.