Leader of Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa has asked government to justify why smallholder farmers should pay to redeem Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) fertiliser when the commodity has been donated.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, he also wondered why the number of beneficiaries in the Southern Region has been reduced while it has been increased in some districts in the Central Region.

Nankhumwa was apparently referring to donations of fertiliser to the Malawi Government which Ministry of Agriculture has stated will be used in this year’s AIP.

World Food Programme and World Bank have each donated 20 000 metric tonnes (MT) while Morocco has donated 10 000MT which will be blended to produce 52 000MT.

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He said: “We are getting reports that some of the donated fertiliser is going to be sold through AIP.”

This year’s AIP is scheduled to be launched on Saturday in Dedza.

Second Deputy Speaker Aisha Mambo Adams said the issues raised by Nankhumwa were critical and she hoped Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale will do the needful.

Government Chief Whip Jacob Hara has since assured that there will be a ministerial statement made in Parliament to address the AIP issues.

Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda also assured that the AIP report is ready and will be presented today, adding there is nothing to hide about AIP.

In an interview, Kawale said the donation by Morocco, World Bank and World Food Programme were included in the AIP.

He justified the decision to sell, saying the donation was towards AIP and the donors were well aware of how fertiliser under the AIP is accessed by beneficiaries.

This year’s AIP programme was allocated K109 billion, which was not enough to cover the initial target of 3.7 million beneficiaries. However, government later reduced the number of beneficiaries to 2.5 million.

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