New Minister of Finance, Felix Mlusu has announced that 3.5 million smallholder farmers will benefit from the new government subsidised fertilizer programme in the 2020 to 2021 financial year. During campaign, President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-President Saulos Chilima, promised to reduce fertiliser prices to K4 495 per 50 kilogramme bag. At times the energetic Chilima […]
The budget presented on Friday by Minister of Finance Economic Planning and Development Joseph Mwanamvekha promised to bring prosperity to farmers through a series of targeted interventions, from improved market access to access to credit and slashed the fertilizer prices from the current K22 000 per 50 kilogram bag to K5 000. Mwanamvekha also disclosed […]
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera has said the party has tweaked its pledge in MCP manifesto in which the party promised to introduce a universal subsidy programme opting to adopt cheaper fertiliser of 50 kg bag of fertiliser selling at K4,495 as advocated by UTM leader Saulos Chilima. The MCP presidential hopeful […]
Malawi is expected to benefit from an agricultural investment deal that President Peter Mutharika has struck in London, United Kingdom when he held talks with UK-based business tycoons from Israel, France, Ukraine and Morocco. The team, which was led by Member of the Board for Innoselia Commercial Limited, Nir Gess and British Marine Limited Chairman […]
A total of 2 545 households in T/A Kaduya’s area in Phalombe on Wednesday received bags of fertilizer and other farm inputs courtesy of Oxfam’s Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods (EFSVL) intervention to Cyclone Idai victims. The intervention seeks to facilitate food security interventions and has also provided people in the area with other […]
Seed Trade Association of Malawi (STAM) and the Fertilizer Association of Malawi (FAM) have hailed former Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Joseph Mwanamvekha for his excellent and exceptional contribution towards the sector during his term of office. STAM General Secretary, Nessimu Nyama made the recognition on Friday in Blantyre during a farewell dinner […]
President Peter Mutharika says tobacco small-scale farmers will be exempted from tax from their first ten bales of the leaf with immediate effect. Mutharika was speaking Thursday at the opening of the tobacco marketing market for 2019 which was presided by the visiting Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli. The Malawi leader said government always thinks […]
Malawi Police are looking for a truck driver who has bolted with 600 bags of NPK fertilizer worth K13 million meant for the subsidy program as well as some accessories from his vehicle. Ntcheu police spokesperson Hastings Chigaru said the driver, Emmanuel Chidovu of Zambezi Logistics in Blantyre loaded the bags of fertilizer from Nacala […]
Tryness Phiri, 35, is a small-scale farmer who has been into farming for over eight years. But over these years, her harvests from various crops has been less inspiring largely because of lack of farm inputs like chemical fertilisers. “I usually harvested little because the crops I grew required fertiliser which I could hardly afford,” […]
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote is interested in investing in the agricultural sector by establishing a fertilizer manufacturing company in Malawi, Nigerian High Commissioner Designate, retired Brigadier General Stanley Diriyai, has revealed. Diriyai disclosed Dangote’s interest on Tuesday after presenting his letters of credence to Malawi’s president Professor Peter Mutharika at the New State House […]
The debt that Malawi’s Farm Input Loan Programme (Filp) owes to foreign fertiliser companies represents a fourfold escalation since 2014, the result of accumulated interest and the steady weakening of the kwacha against the dollar. The original contract price was MK11.1-billion. The programme was introduced by Joyce Banda’s administration with the stated intention of providing […]
A rapidly growing organic fertilizer production company, Funani Organic Fertilizer has louded its first participation to the annual Malawi International Trade Fair. In an interview with Nyasa Times, the company’s Director Ezra Funani said the fair was not only an eye opener to then but also a window to meet prospective customers. “It was a […]
Member of Parliament for Mangochi North, Benedicto Chambo has expressed concern over the conduct of most traders and transporters who failed to deliver farm inputs under the subsidy programme during the 2016/2017 agricultural season. Chambo expressed the concern on the sidelines of a full council meeting on Wednesday at Mangochi Town Council Hall. The legislator […]
Tea farmers in Thyolo district are planning to open up an organic fertilizer making factory this year having successfully run test studies. Wilfred Kastom, Chairperson of Mtendere Tea Cooperative said, once the factory is established, it will among others reduce cost that farmers incurred when buying chemical fertilizer while at the same time improve their […]
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 […]
Malawi Police in Blantyre in the wee hours of Tuesday intercepted a truck transporting maize from Dedza to Luchenza in Thyolo district without documentation. The law-enforcers have since arrested the lorry’s driver and his assistant who eventually attempted to bribe officers with K500. The truck registration BR 4083, according to police, was intercepted at a roadblock that […]
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Dr Allan Chiyembekeza on Tuesday admitted that Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) is progressing well despite facing huge challenges. This claim by Chyembekeza comes hot amid complaints from various stakeholders that the programme has started late. Addressing journalists on present status of implementation of 2015/16 Farm Input Subsidy […]
Finance minister Goodall Gondwe said government suspended the fertlizer loan programme conceived y former president Joyce Banda because it was ill conceived and the government is struggling to recover K12 billion. Gondwe said this in parliament when leader of People’s Party in the House, Uladi Mussa asked Finance Minister to explain why the programme was […]