Friday, December 19, 2025
No menu items!
spot_img
Home Blog Page 1515

Chakwera directs Ministry of Agriculture to complete AIP distribution exercise with urgency

247Malawi
-
0
Chakwera directs Ministry of Agriculture to complete AIP distribution exercise with urgency

By Linda Kwanjana

President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has directed the Minister of Agriculture to ensure that all the beneficiaries of the Affordable Input Programme to receive the fertilizer within 40 days.

President Chakwera has made the directive during the launch of this years AIP programme at Nkhamenya in Kasungu district.

President Chakwers has also directed the Minister to ensure that his Ministry gives periodical updates to Malawians on the progress of the programme.



He said: “I am directing you, Minister of Agriculture, to ensure that all the farming households that qualify to have this fertilizer to do so within 40 days.

“Additionally, within that period, I am directing you to give Malawians regular updates on the progress being made in the distribution of the fertilizer across the country.”

While noting that there have been some mishaps on the programme, President Chakwera said AIP has improved food security to many households in the last three years than any other period before.

“While we do not claim that the AIP is a perfect solution, it is undisputed that for four years running now, the AIP has achieved food security for more Malawians than any other programme in the past,” added the President.

Meanwhile the Minister responsible Sam Kawale has disclosed that a total of 102 000 metric tones of fertilizer is already in the country, this translates 73 percent of the total input required for the whole exercise.

A total of 1.5 million people are expected to benefit from this year’s AIP initiative.

President Chakwera describes AIP as Malawi’s flagship safety net program

247Malawi
-
0
President Chakwera describes AIP as Malawi’s flagship safety net program

By Alfred Chauwa

Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on Friday launched the flagship Agricultural Input Program (AIP) at a glamourous event which took place at Kavidebwere Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority Kalikokha in Kasungu District.

Speaking during the event, Chakwera said his Government is looking into ways on how the program has to be improved.

“This is also why we look for ways to improve the programme’s delivery year after year. And while we do not claim that the AIP is a perfect solution, it is undisputed that for four years running now the AIP has achieved food security for more Malawians than any programme like it in the past,” he said.



The president said even in the face of multiple challenges that have befallen Malawi as a nation in the past three years, the AIP has remained one of the strongest safety nets catching millions of Malawians in economic freefall from the devastating effects of pandemics like Covid, outbreaks like cholera, and climate impacts like
droughts and cyclones Ana, Gombe, and Freddy.

Chakwera said giving citizens the ability to grow their own food is as good as giving them the ability to print their own money.

The president said this is why within the first year of being in office, he announced that one of the top three priorities of his Administration is the achievement of food security for every household in Malawi.

“As far as I am concerned, food security is about so much more than nutrition and health. It is possible to be nourished and have your health sustained physically using food that is secured through begging and charity, but that is not the kind of food security we want,” he said.

The president said what his Government want is to achieve food security that promotes self-reliance.

“What we want to achieve is food security that upholds human dignity. What we want to achieve is food security that protects our national sovereignty. What we want to achieve is food security that builds our people’s capacity for economic prosperity,” he said.

NBS Bank in Customer Service celebration

247Malawi
-
0
NBS Bank in Customer Service celebration

By Senior Business Reporter

NBS Bank plc has intensified activities designed to express gratitude and strengthen the bond between the Bank and its customers as the Malawi Stock Exchange listed commercial bank celebrates Customer Service month in October.

The Bank’s Head of Marketing and Customer Experience, Tamanda Ng’ombe, said the Bank underscores its unwavering commitment to a customer-first approach and appreciation for internal and external customers.

Tamanda Ng’ombe



Ng’ombe said that during the first week customers had the opportunity to engage with Service Centre Managers in conversations about their banking experiences, fostering a sense of personal connection.

“The customer engagement activities allowed customers to meet with the management of each service centre they visited, reinforcing the Bank’s appreciation for their loyalty. These interactions demonstrated that the Bank genuinely cares about its customers’ well-being and values their business,” said Ng’ombe.

She further said the Bank continues to shine on customer service excellence, re-enforcing the Bank’s dedication to its customers who are invaluable assets in a competitive market.

“Throughout the second week, NBS Bank further solidified its commitment to exceptional customer service through its pledge wall initiative. Staff members within the Bank made pledges, promising to uphold the highest service standards, not just during Customer Service Month, but throughout the entire year. This commitment extends beyond external customers; it acknowledges that staff members are also customers to each other, emphasizing the importance of internal customer service,” explained Ng’ombe.

An NBS Bank customer, Madalitso Masina, who runs a hardware shop in Salima said in an interview he is satisfied with how the Service Centre is attending to customers.

“We are getting better services than before; the Bank is now responding to queries faster even when there are long queues,” said Masina.

Customer Service Week is an international celebration of the importance of customer service and of the people who serve and support customers on a daily basis. It is celebrated annually during the first full week in October. NBS Bank has taken it a step further to celebrate customer service for the whole month of October.

Castel Malawi partners Illusionz Club to bring in DJ Mapholisa-excited with tonight’s launch

247Malawi
-
0
Castel Malawi partners Illusionz Club to bring in DJ Mapholisa-excited with tonight’s launch

By Senior Business Reporter

Giant alcoholic beverages producer, Castel Malawi has partnered with Illusionz Bar, Restaurant and Club to bring celebrated South African DJ Mapholisa who will perform at the grand opening of the entertainment outfit in Lilongwe this evening.

Illusionz Bar, Restaurant and Club is situated at Golden Peacock in City Centre in Lilongwe and fireworks are expected to fly during its opening this evening.

Castel Malawi Head of Corporate Markerting and Communications Lavern Chitakata said in an interview that they partnered with the new club to bring in DJ Mapholisa for massive entertainment during the launch of the club this evening.

LaVern Chitakata



“We believe in partnerships and our partnership with Illusionz Club will make this event colourful and we expect that patrons are going to enjoy the entertainment that has been lined up with the performance of popular South African DJ Mapholisa.”

“This partnership is for a year with exclusive branding rights. We are excited with this launch,” said Chitakata.

Illusionz Club director Martin Nyirenda hailed Castel Malawi for the partnership especially its role in bringing DJ Mapholisa to grace the launch of the Club tonight.

“We are grateful to Castel Malawi for the support during this launch. We expect a lot of fun tonight,” said Nyirenda.

Chakwera wants wheat imports reduced and save forex

247Malawi
-
0
Chakwera wants wheat imports reduced and save forex

By Alfred Chauwa

Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has hailed Pyxus Agriculture Limited for promoting wheat production in the country saying this has the potential to help Malawi save much needed forex.

Chakwera said: “We will also reduce wheat import by half thereby saving close to US$20 million worth of forex demand,” he said.

Chakwer was speaking in Dowa at Mpale Wheat Farm managed by Pyxus Agriculture Limited in Dowa while on his way to Kasungu, for the official launch of the 2023/24 Affordable Inputs Program (AIP).

President Chakwera

During the stopover at the farm, he witnessed the first large harvest of the wheat.

“While there, I witnessed the first large-scale harvest of wheat seed under a revolutionary agro-industrialisation intervention that seeks to upscale wheat production in the country, ” he said.

The president said he also learnt that the four seed varieties tried on this farm are heat tolerant such that they can be grown in almost all climatic conditions in Malawi; and are high yielding reaching between 6.8 metric tonnes and 10 metric tonnes per hectare.

Chakwera said, using mega farms for full-scale wheat production will give Malawi expected total wheat yield of 90,000 metric tonnes which is nearly 50 percent of the country’s annual wheat consumption.

Malawi has been importing wheat at large scale losing forex in the process.

1...1,5141,5151,516...2,170Page 1,515 of 2,170

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

True and well researched news covering key issues in Malawi and abroad

Contact us: info@247malawi.com

FOLLOW US

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv