By Mary Makhiringa

Balaka, November 28, MANA: Authorities in Balaka District have commended government for rolling out 2024/2025 Affordable Input Programme (AIP), expressing hope that farmers will harvest more yields this farming season.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency, one of the farmers from the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kachenga, Yamikani Matope expressed gratitude for being enrolled on the programme citing that previously he could not harvest more yields because of limited fertilizer.

"Last year, I used manure for my farming and I only got five bags but with the fertilizer that I will use this year, I am optimistic to harvest nine to ten bags.

"I am grateful to government because my life will change and I would urge the same government to enroll more people in the upcoming season so that hunger should be history in our area," he added.

Commenting on the development, Group Village Head (GVH) Mtumbwe said the programme will cushion hunger in his area as many people who are on the programme would not manage to afford fertilizers from the vendors.

"A good number of people have benefitted from AIP and we just urge the government to speed up and finalize the process of selling the commodity because people have already planted their crops," he said.

G.H.V Mtumbwe however called for government to streamline the system of enrolling the beneficiaries by involving local leaders and extension workers saying this would eliminate some of the shortfalls within the programme.

Meanwhile, Smallholder Farmers Fertilizers Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) Sales Clerk for Balaka Boma, Frank Maselenga said the cordial relationship among their entity, local leaders, district agriculture office and the central government has allowed the process of selling fertilizer to be successful.

He emphasized that from the three stocks that they had previously at Balaka Boma, farmers were able to purchase both NPK and Urea.