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FISP in a mess

 

Implementation of this year’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) is rocked in a mess with some beneficiaries yet to get coupons and in some cases, the inputs are yet to be delivered.

The development has stirred panic among beneficiaries and agricultural stakeholders in Malawi who fear that the frustrated beneficiaries may opt for open pollinated varieties (OPVs) that may produce low yields.

The Nation checks also established that in some areas where farmers are yet to receive the coupons, some private traders are said to be declining to go and supply the fertiliser to some parts of the country.

People waiting for a chance to buy fertiliser at
Optichem in Blantyre

Rumphi and Dowa are among the districts yet to receive coupons to redeem the inputs despite first rains falling in the areas.

In other areas such as Ntchisi, delivery of the inputs has been erratic with just a few households so far receiving the coupons.

Some farmers there, including in Dowa, complained in separate interviews that it has now become a trend to receive inputs after the first rains and are forced to plant their crops late.

“Even the delayed fertiliser delivered is usually less than half the amount government had promised to supply in a year. This leaves chiefs with no option, but plead with those who have benefitted to share the inputs with others,” explained Jemison Mwale of Malinga Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Msakambewa in Dowa.

In an interview yesterday, Dowa district commissioner (DC) Fanny Msimuko confirmed that coupons are yet to be distributed.

She said: “The reason is that they are redoing registration for farming households and that exercise just finished last week… So, by weekend we should be able to start distributing the coupons.”

However, while in some parts of Nkhotakota the farmers have received the coupons and started buying the inputs, Davis Phangaphanga, the district agricultural development officer (Dado), confirmed the existence of areas that are yet to get the coupons.

“Since the sale of inputs has just started we have not received serious challenges except for one or two markets which are off the road and closer to Mzimba than Nkhotakota that have not received the inputs because the suppliers are yet to deliver them but they promised to do so within the week,” he said.

In Mangochi, DC James Manyetera said the implementation was progressing well except for the disparity where some fertiliser traders are charging the farmers exorbitantly.

Government fixed the price of a 50 kilogramme (kg) bag of fertiliser at K15 000, but, according to Manyetera, in some parts of Mangochi District the farmers are being asked to top up with K9 000 per bag.

He said: “We received those reports last week so we have sent a team for a fact-finding but we are yet to get a report on the matter.”

Commenting on logistical hiccups and disparity, Fisp deputy national coordinator Osborne Tsoka maintained that government has managed to distribute the coupons to all beneficiaries nationwide.

However, in the case of Dowa and Rumphi, he confirmed that beneficiaries were yet to get their coupons. He said they would get them this week.

Said Tsoka: “In these districts, it is because we are piloting the productive farmer selection. In the past, the problem was that we were targeting and it transpired that wrong people were being targeted so this year we want to target the productive farmers and we will be finalising that process this week.”

On areas yet to take delivery of inputs, Tsoka said government has now removed the initial restriction where suppliers were only allowed to retail the fertiliser in specific areas.

He said: “What it means is even if a certain trader had a shop in Ntcheu, but was not allocated there that trader could retail in that area. But that restriction has now been removed, we have opened up in that all private traders can now retail anywhere across the country.”

Tsoka also said government only fixed the coupon prices and cannot dictate private companies’ prices. n

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