Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) has expressed concern over the delay on the implementation of the whole process of Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) by government. The Union’s President, Alfred Kapichira Banda told a news conference in Lilongwe during the presentation of 2016/17 FISP Implementation findings in which the union has been monitoring to improve efficiency and […]
Businesspersons are flocking to Salima district to buy Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) coupons from farmers. During the distribution exercise which lasted four days from Monday to Thursday last week, Malawi News Agency (Mana) visited at least seven centres where vendors coming on motor vehicles and motor bikes were seen engaging the beneficiaries. In an […]
Subsistence farmers in central region are yet to plant after the onset of planting rains last week because of government failure to provide them with subsided farm inputs. Farmers in Ntchisi, Mchinji, Dowa, Lilongwe and other areas are yet to receive coupons which will earn them cheap maize and legumes seeds and fertilizer. “This is […]
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda on Sunday announced that the much awaited Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) coupons arrived in Malawi on Sunday from the printers. Speaking at Masintha ground where President Peter Mutharika was addressing the political rally, Chaponda assured farmers not to panick, saying coupon distribution exercise will start […]
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development on Wednesday said government will roll out distribution of coupons for Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) next week. Speaking at a press briefing at Capital Hill in Lilongwe, the Minister responsible for Agriculture George Chaponda said the ministry is set to start distribution of farm input coupons […]
Government has said the private sector will this year take centre stage in the administration of farm input program (Fisp) as way of improving the service. Agriculture minister George Chaponda said the private sector will now be involved in the storage and delivery of the subsided fertilizer and seed for the 1.5 million Malawians. Tamani […]
Government has slashed the beneficiaries of Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) program by 600000, a move seen as an exit strategy for the now K43 billion budget. Finance ministry spokesperson Nations Msowoya confirmed that this year’s beneficiaries would be at 900 000 down from 1500 last year. “Our research has shown that 900000 people will […]
An agricultuire non governmental organisation has highly welcomed the reforms in the farm input subsidised programme (FISP) which has seen unprecedented reduction from K60 billion to K30 billion. Civil Society Agriculture Network (Cisanet) executive director Tamani Nkhono Mvula also welcomed the K198.5 billion lion’s share to the ministry of Agriculture, saying this will revolutionise the […]
Minister of Agriculture George Chaponda has said the biggest irrigation scheme in southern Africa, the Shire Valley Irrigation Scheme will not be ready until after 2018. He said there are several feasibility studies to be done before the establishment of the scheme which is expected to ease chronic food shortages in Malawi. “His Excellency the […]
The trend of subsidies has been around for several decades even centuries with varying degrees of execution in different societies. But the question is; what really determines government’s intervention in subsidies? Any country that decides to roll out subsidies will first have to look at their reserves and choose the kind of subsidies they want […]
Bishops of the influential Catholic Church in the country have followed up the issue raised by Rumphi East Member of Parliament (MP) Kamlepo Kalua on the status of tractors bought using a loan from India in 2012. Kalua asked Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Allan Chiyembekeza in parliament to explain the status of […]
It is now almost 10 years since Malawi government introduced the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP), a programme which produced wonders in its initial stages. Over the years, however, the programme has been highly politicised; it has been used as a self-enrichment tool for politicians from the parties that have been in power. The trickle-down-effect […]
The Thyolo Second Grade Magistrates Court on Tuesday granted bail to Laston Mawilesi, 45 who was arrested on January 23 after being found in possession of 100 bags of fertilizer on a condition that he pays K 40,000 as a bail bond. Before granting the bail, the court heard through Police prosecutor Sub Inspector Mbiri […]
Police in the south have arrested 23 people in offences in connection with corrupt practices on farm inputs programme and the buying of maize at Admarc depots. However, the effort is being thwarted by courts which are meting out fines as lower as K10, 000 per offence. Crime prevention desk officer for the police in […]
Graft busting body, the Anti -Corruption Bureau (ACB) has expressed concern that some politicians in the south were influencing the sale of tax payer funded Fisp fertilizer and Admarc maize. The ACB’s crime prevention officer Susan Phiri told the media after she made spot checks in some Admarc depots in the south including Thyolo and […]
An innovative legislator has diverted K7 million from Constituency Development Fund to buy farm inputs for 1,000 women in his constituency, a departure from infrastructure development the fund is traditionally used for. Kasungu north east MP Wakuda Kamanga (People’s Party) said the programme, he has dubed ‘Nzotheka’ will increase food productivity in his area thereby […]
An opposition politician has joined choruses of economists and donors calling on the government to abolish all subsidies, saying they are a harmful to the economy. Mark Katsonga, president of People’s Progressive Party (PPM) said Malawi is probably the only country in the region with subsidies. “It is only in Malawi where a child is […]
Some suppliers of farm inputs engaged by government are withholding NPk fertilizer in fear the cash strapped government would not be able to pay. This may affect food production in some areas next as the fertilizer in question is applied as soon as the maize is just centimetres high. Last year the government had a […]