A study by the Mwapata Institute, a local independent agriculture policy think-tank, has recommended substantial changes to the country’s Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) to reduce the declining maize yields.
The study titled ‘Improving maize productivity by addressing soil health issues through Malawi’s Affordable Inputs Programme’, noted that integrating complementary soil fertility management interventions could improve crop output.
The recommendation follows previous studies which showed that about 40 percent of the country’s soils are degraded and have high acidity levels, reducing the effectiveness of subsidy programmes.
Presenting the findings in Lilongwe on Thursday, Mwapata Institute research director Levison Chiwayula, who co-authored the report, noted that using organic fertilisers and lime restores organic matter in the soil and reduces acidity, thereby improving productivity.
Commenting on the findings, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources head of Crop and Soil Science Department Patson Nalivata said boosting organic content and lime improves its uptake and use of synthetic fertilisers.
“This means the little fertiliser that farmers apply to the soil could be protected from erosion, remain in the soil and boost productivity,” he said.
According to the policy paper, government can encourage this by either adding organic fertiliser and agricultural lime to subsidised inputs or promoting the adoption of supplementary soil fertility management interventions through the existing government extension services. Reacting to the proposal, Ministry of Agriculture Department of Land Resources Conservation director Gertrude Kambauwa said the study’s recommendations align with the government’s soil health management strategies.
