Citizens back AIP amid calls for its abolishment

Despite numerous challenges in the delivery of Tonse Alliance’s flagship Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) since it began in 2020, 69 out of every 100 Malawians perceive it as ‘very’ effective.

This goes against some expert advice that the AIP, which succeeded the Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme, implemented under the erstwhile governing Democratic Progressive Party, be abolished.

Proponents for the abolition of AIP premise their arguments on its failure to serve its intended purpose of achieving food security after billions of taxpayers’ money is spent, yet the same farming households further need support due to high levels of hunger.

But according to a perception survey from the Institute of Public Opinion and Research (Ipor) titled ‘Citizens Perception of Parliament and Parliamentarians’, only nine out of every 100 Malawians feel the programme is not effective at all.

On the other hand, findings of the survey conducted in March 2024 that included 2 800 respondents from 27 districts excluding Likoma show that 18 out every 100 Malawians perceive the programme to be ‘somewhat effective’.

This means a majority of Malawians back implementation of the programme in the midst of the challenges ranging from late delivery of inputs, network glitches, alleged corruption and late commencement-all which have been adversely affecting beneficiaries.

Respondents to the perception survey were asked how effective the AIP has been in promoting food security in Malawi.

Interestingly, 52 out of every 100 respondents perceive that coupons are ideal to beneficiaries while 36 out of every 100 feel that they would rather receive cash equivalent to the price of inputs.

Only two percent of the respondents, however, felt it is important that beneficiaries be given both cash and coupons.

This is the first time for a survey to be conducted to gauge people’s perception on the AIP since it rolled out in 2020 after the Tonse Alliance took over government.

The AIP is a social facility that allows resource constrained smallholder farmers to access farm inputs at subsidised prices to alleviate hunger.

Ipor director of research, operations and senior partner Boniface Dulani in an interview on Friday said respondents from urban areas and with higher education qualifications are those that perceive the programme to be less effective as compared to those in rural areas and with less education.

He said this is why those that are educated will likely advocate for abolishment of the programme.

Said Dulani: “But where there is basically general agreement that the subsidy programme should be maintained, we see differences in mode of implementation.

“There are about two-thirds who say let us maintain the coupon system which most of us know has created a lot of challenges as sometimes farmers spend nights at markets to redeem their coupons while one-thirds feel cash is ideal”.

In a separate interview, agricultural policy expert Tamani Nkhono Mvula agreed with the survey’s finding and said proponents of an exit of the AIP only look at the economic side to it and ignore other important factors.

He said: “If you look at the arguments of those saying the AIP needs to be abolished, they only look at the economic part of it; how the AIP is being managed. But if you look at the need for a subsidy as far as food security is concerned, to me I think the subsidies need to continue.

“As a matter of fact, primary production is supposed to be subsidised. In any country, whether they are rich or poor, primary production needs to be subsidised because of the multiplier effect which is there whenever there is enough food in the country or what happens to inflation”.

Nkhono Mvula further argued that a majority of farmers, in particular, those from rural areas, cannot afford fertilisers on their own and that if they cannot make purchases with some support, it would contribute to extreme levels of hunger which would not be controllable.

On preference of coupons, Nkhono Mvula said what is important is to identify beneficiaries in a transparent manner.

“The most important thing is how we target the people that are going to benefit. If those people are being targeted in a transparent manner whether we are using coupons or cash, I think that would be secondary,” he said.

But Nkhono Mvula said the people’s preference for cash instead of coupons is a result of frustrations on redeeming inputs which on numerous occasions have been compounded by network glitches.

This year’s AIP, which the Treasury allocated K161 billion in the National Budget and is yet to start, will target 1 054 945 beneficiaries from last year’s 1.5 million.

When asked on the status of preparations a fortnight ago, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale told Nation on Sunday that he would make a statement in Parliament, as such, he could not pre-empt to the media.

In 2021, President Lazarus Chakwera hinted that government was pondering exit strategies of the AIP amid criticisms of its alleged ineffectiveness.