With the rainy season fast approaching plus the ushering in of a new government, uncertainty looms over the future of the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP), leaving farmers like Lucina Chidzanja from Kumitsinje Village in Traditional Authority Malili, Lilongwe, deeply concerned.
“I’m banking on AIP, but the future looks bleak,” said Chidzanja, who last year failed to redeem her inputs despite being listed as a beneficiary and receiving coupons.
“Fertiliser prices are beyond reach. In our area, rains often begin in October or early November. I had hoped to benefit this year.”
The AIP, a flagship initiative of the former Malawi Congress Party (MCP) administration, was scheduled to launch on October 1, targeting 1.1 million farming households. Former Agriculture minister Sam Kawale confirmed the rollout prior to the September 16 General Election.
However, with the Democratic Progress Party (DPP) now in power under President Peter Mutharika, the programme’s future hangs in the balance.
Senior officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that the ministry is awaiting policy direction from the new administration and that continuation of AIP is uncertain.
The delay has triggered alarm among farmers and stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) executive director Jacob Nyirongo has urged the government to act swiftly.
He argued that farmers are already in their gardens and any further delay would be disastrous.
“The incoming government should send signals on whether it is continuing with AIP and other programmes that affect agriculture. Farmers need to prepare properly,” he said.
FUM has also called for broader reforms to the subsidy programme, a sentiment echoed by the Mwapata Institute, an independent agricultural policy think-tank.
Its CEO, William Chadza, stressed the need for a clear reform pathway.
“Government must communicate whether there’s a shift in policy direction. If AIP is to continue, implementation must be fast and farmer-friendly.
“Expectation is that government will come out clearly on whether there is change of policy direction. This will help farmers to make informed decisions. If it is continuing, implementation has to move with speed and adopt a format that helps farmers,” he said.
Agriculture expert Lonjezo Masikini thinks the government has little time to implement a new format of AIP considering that rains are just weeks away.
He suggested the incoming government adopt the previous format, but implement the reforms in the upcoming budget.
Meanwhile, Mutharika whose previous administration implemented the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp), on Friday outlined the most pressing economic and social challenges he intends to address soon after being sworn in.
They are hunger, fertiliser, fuel and foreign exchange availability.
Over the years, the number of AIP beneficiaries has drastically reduced.
When the programme rolled out in 2020, it benefitted 3.7 million farming households while in the following year, the figure was trimmed to 2.5 million.
In 2022, the figure remained at 2.5 million, but was further reduced to 1.5 million in 2023.
In 2024 1.1 million farming households were targeted, the same number that is targeted this year.
In the 2025/26 National Budget, K131.6 billion was allocated to AIP, an amount that is lower than the K161 billion allocated in the 2024/25 budget which targeted to support 1 054 945 beneficiaries.
The Department of Climate Change and Metrological Services has forecasted that the country would likely start receiving rains by October.
