Rough take off for AIP

 It never rains but pours for beneficiaries of Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) as this year’s edition has not been spared the challenges of network, missing names, bribery and shortage of commodities.

The Nation spot-checks this week established that the problems are common and redemption of inputs is at a snail’s pace because only Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) depots are in use.

The situation turned ugly in Mzimba South on Tuesday and SFFRFM Limbe Depot in Blantyre on Wednesday as desperate farmers, fed up with queuing for days on end due to network glitches, turned violent demanding access to the commodity.

In an interview on Wednesday, Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson Geoffrey Banda admitted the challenges and said the programme had a slow start due to issues to do with the distribution of beneficiary registers and slow distribution of commodities from the main depots of Chirimba, Kanengo and Luwinga to selling points.

He said: “But the challenges are being addressed and expect improved distribution going forward. There  is enough fertiliser for all targeted beneficiaries and every effort is being made to make sure that the fertiliser is distributed to the targeted areas and farmers with speed.”

Banda said the ministry is also working on rectifying the network glitches that sometimes occur during transactions.

Tedson Kathumba, an AIP beneficiary from group village head Chinupule in Machinjiri, Blantyre, said SFFRFM Limbe Depot, the sole AIP selling point in Blantyre as of Wednesday, has been selling an average 40 bags of fertiliser since Monday.

He claimed that those accessing were paying officials an extra K5 000, meaning that they are spending K35 000 for two 50kg bags instead of the recommended K30 000 for the same.

Another beneficiary Jessie Kananji from Kachere Township said she spent two nights at the depot and called on authorities to shut down the depot and go back to the drawing board. She described her experience as inhumane.

She said: “We have struggled to raise the money to access the fertiliser, where will we get the additional amount to bribe the officers? We are languishing with hunger here, some are spending on transport every day but the queue is not even moving.”

During the fracas in Mzimba, a police officer was reportedly injured while in Limbe, beneficiaries forced their way into the depot in a desperate attempt to access the inputs.

The situation compelled authorities to beef up security in both depots.

Farmers Union of Malawi  president Manes Nkhata said the available few SFFRFM selling points gives an impression of general capacity gaps on the part of those managing the AIP.

She asked the government to speedily address the challenge and ensure that seed and fertiliser are available to all farmers across the country.

Nkhata said: “This is worrisome. While we understand that the government faced some challenges in securing fertilisers, we do not understand why the government is struggling to ensure seed is available to farmers in good time.”

She attributed the delays in the delivery of inputs to farmers to the fact that the government is yet to award contracts to seed companies.

Ministry of Agriculture shutdown operations of Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) in September pending redefining of the State produce trader’s functions and sent its 4 000-plus staff on paid leave.

B ut Min i s t e r o f Agriculture Sam Kawale two weeks ago told Parliament that Admarc depots will open on December 2 and that about 1 000 workers will be recalled to assist in AIP implementation.

In a separate interview, Karonga District AIP desk officer Cilence Muwanje said they have already registered about 33 045 beneficiaries but the district is yet to receive its consignment.

In parts of the Central Region, SFFRFM has delivered fertiliser to all nine districts, but challenges of network are affecting smooth implementation.

Dedza district director of agriculture, extension services and natural resources Michael Chimatiro said farmers are able to access fertiliser in all designated depots except in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kasumbu and T/A Tambala which are hard to reach areas.

However, he said the mobile vending component in the AIP programme will see to it that the areas have been reached with the fertiliser.

Chimatiro’s counterpart in Ntchisi, Siliro Nkhukuzalira Magomero, also said the inputs are available in all depots in his district.

Village head Mkunja of T/A Chakhadza in Dowa said the process was going on well in his area.

He attributed this to the availability of fertiliser to the arrangements designating days for various areas at selling points.

Meanwhile, AIP national coordinator Justin Kagona said registration of agro-dealers who will sell seed for the AIP is underway.

He said: “The arrangement is that the seed companies provide us with the names of the agro dealers they will work with and that is happening in tranches. That is why we are also registering them in tranches.”

The government has come under criticism for delaying the implementation of AIP with analysts expressing fear the inputs may not reach the farmers in time.

About 2.5 million farming families are targeted in this year’s AIP.