Mzimba farmers excited at the start of sales for affordable fertiliser under AIP

Mzimba, November 28, mana: Scores of subsistence farmers in Mzimba have expressed hope of getting bumper yields from their farms after purchasing cheap fertiliser under the government’s Affordable Input Programme (AIP) in the 2024/2025 farming season.

According to AIP coordinator for Mzimba Agriculture office, Julius Banda most market dealers have started selling fertiliser under the programme which is targeting 45,541 beneficiaries in the district.

In an interview on Tuesday after purchasing fertiliser, a beneficiary of the programme Temwanani Chirwa, 48 from Kapokolo Village in Traditional Authority M’mbelwa said in the past she cultivated her two acres farmland but due to loss of soil fertility she failed to harvest enough.

‘‘My farmland can no longer give me yields without applying fertiliser. This is the reason I thank government for this programme which is making life easier for us subsistence farmers. This 50 kg bag I have bought at K15,000 will enable me cushion hunger as I am sure I will harvest more than 20 bags’’, said Chirwa.

Chirwa said she struggles to raise money for her household to survive everyday and she could hardly manage to raise over K100, 000 to buy fertiliser for her garden at the current market price.

“Most of us beneficiaries of this AIP are just subsistence farmers so we cultivate for food and because of that we don’t have the financial muscle to buy fertiliser on the market but the coming of this programme has made my life easy to have food through out of the year,” she said.

Another beneficiary of the programme, 71 year old Joys Kamanga from Chimuzalire Chirwa village in Traditional Authority Kampingo Sibande says this is the third time to be among AIP beneficiaries. He commended government saying it has come as a saviour since in the past they could not buy even one bag of fertilizer but currently they are buying two bags which is a great improvement.

Kamanga further says that he is able to provide for his family and that he is able to pay school fees for his family from the farming.

“Since I started benefiting from the program a lot of things have changed in my life as I am able to buy two bags of fertilizers at a low price,” he said.

Martin Jinkho from Yelemiah Mawaso village, in Traditional Authority M’mbelwa said they have not yet started planting and the fertiliser sales have not delayed.

“Some people were panicking that government was delaying in starting selling the fertiliser but I can assure you that this is just the right time as planting rains are yet to start,” said Njikho.

In a separate interview, Traditional Authority Mzukuzuku has also commanded government for rolling out the sales saying people in his communities’ bank on the programme.

‘‘This programme is doing wonders in enabling farmers to harvest without which most people would go hungry. I therefore commend government for this AIP and I only urge government to consider increasing number of beneficiaries next season,” said T/A Mzukuzuku.

Group village headman Amon Moyo says since AIP program was introduced a lot of people have benefited in his area and he further says that 160 people are going to benefit from AIP program this year.

“When the communities have got enough food it becomes easier for communities to take part in even self-projects. Hunger drives away hard working spirit. But people who have food are easy to manage. So as a chief I applaud government for making people buy fertiliser at cheaper price of K15, 000,” said Moyo.

According to the AIP coordinator Banda, they have since opened 32 selling points including mobile markets to ensure farmers have easy access to markets.

‘‘These 32 fertiliser selling points are up from 18 points we had last year. We have scaled up the selling points to ease challenges that some beneficiaries were facing to buy the fertiliser. Also, the mobile markets we have, we believe will ensure farmers buy farmers closer to where they reside,” said Banda.