By Chisomo Phiri

After an anxious wait, President Lazarus Chakwera on Saturday November 19,2022 finally launched the 2022-2023 Affordable Input Program (AIP) at an event that took place at Maonde Primary School Ground under Senior Chief Kachere in Dedza.

This is the third edition of the program since the Tonse administration assumed office in 2020.

In his speech, President Lazarus Chakwera said, this year’s AIP program seeks ti subsidize the cost of fertiliser, seed and livestock for 2.5 million of the country’s 3.7 million farming households to improve agricultural productivity and real income.

Chakwera disclosed that his administration is also implementing other complementary programs to assist the 1.2 million farming households that were not enrolled in the AIP initiative.

He said the programs include Social Cash Transfer popularly known as Mtukula Pakhomo, Public Works Program and other farm input programs supported by development partners.

” We are doing all it takes to make sure that every household is food secure and has disposable income for other equally important expenses,” said Malawi leader.

Chakwera then called on all officials involved in the implementation of this year’s AIP to strictly adhere to expected standards of service delivery.

On his part, Chairperson for a Ministerial Taskforce on AIP, Richard Chimwendo Banda, assured Malawians that this year, the government is subsidizing not less than K45,000 per 50 kilogram bag of fertilizer.

Chimwendo described such an amount as substantial and generous considering that on the commercial market, a 50 kilogram bag of fertilizer is selling at a record high price range of between K62,000 and K70,000.

He recalled that last year, the government was subsidizing a 50 kilogram bag of fertilizer with only K18,200.

He then attributed the sharp price increase of fertilizer as a result of recent global dynamics, especially Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying both Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s largest producers of fertilizer.

This year, the AIP program gives the targeted 2.5 million farmers a sigh of relief as they are designed to purchase a 50 kilogram (kg) bag of fertilizer at K15,000 as well as a 5 kg bag packet of seed at K5,000.

The program also has a component of livestock that will see 21 thousand goats being distributed to farmers across the county.

Currently, it is estimated that, 99 percent of the targeted beneficiaries have already been registered and will access the commodity through the ADMARC as well as Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM).