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Neef farm loans delay irks farmers

Prospective beneficiaries of National Economic Empowerment Fund (Neef) agricultural input loans in Blantyre and Thyolo districts have expressed concern about the delay to disburse loans in their areas.

The farm loans are supplementing the Affordable Input Programme (AIP) to boost agricultural productivity.

Mdyetseni (in white) hands over a bag of fertiliser to a farmer. | George Singini

The farmers expressed their concerns Monday, when Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu launched the loan programme in the two districts.

One of the farmers, Alice Gomile, from Tanganyira Village, Traditional Authority Kuntaja in Blantyre said the programme would make more impact if it was started before the 2024/25 rainfall season.

She said: “This is mid-January, a few months into the rainy season and the maize crop is way past first fertiliser application but we have not yet received fertiliser.”

But Kunkuyu stressed that the government is supporting both rain-dependent and irrigation farmers to ensure food security in the country.

He said: “When farmers are empowered with much needed farm inputs the agricultural sector will be revamped.”

On his part, Neef chief executive officer Humphreys Mdyetseni encouraged the beneficiaries to practice discipline in utilising the loans.

“Deliberate measures are in place to ensure the loans are repaid so that the programme is extended to other farmers,” he said.

Started in 2024, the Neef Farm Inputs Loan Programme has this far reached 40 000 farmers out of the targetted 400 000.

Neef plans to give out 120 000 bags of fertiliser worth about K12 billion and K20 billion in cash loans by April 2025.

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