By Amos Phiri Chigwa

Mchinji, February 3, Mana:  Mchinji farmers are breaking free from chronic hunger, thanks to the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) farm input loans.

The revelation came to light during a farm input verification tour on Friday, led by three government ministers of Agriculture, Finance and Information in the district.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), one of the beneficiaries of the NEEF farm input loan, Henderson Mwavuli, from Traditional Authority (TA) Nyoka expressed gratitude to the government for the initiative.

"For years, I have been dormant in agriculture due to lack of capital. Now, with the NEEF loan, I have cultivated 15 acres of maize and five acres of tobacco, ensuring I am not facing chronic hunger this year," he said.

Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, emphasized government's commitment to transitioning from the Affordable Input Programme (AIP) to NEEF.

"We want farmers to graduate from AIP to NEEF, then to Agriculture Commercialization (AGCOM) funds, ultimately becoming part of mega farms," said Kawale.

He reassured farmers on market concerns, highlighting government partnerships with companies to purchase their produce.

Minister of Finance, Simplex Chithyola Banda, moved to amplify the positive impact, pledging an increase in NEEF funding to benefit more Malawians.

"I appeal to the Members of Parliament (MPs) to support this initiative, ensuring the fund reaches many Malawians, leaving no one behind in the system," said Chithyola.

MP for Mchinji North East, Esther Majaza, lauded the initiative, foreseeing a return to abundance for Mchinji.

"Chronic hunger will be history in Mchinji if this continues," she said.

Majaza also expressed her commitment to supporting the fund's increment in parliament.