Category: Agriculture

By Kondwani Magombo, MANA Vice-President, Saulos Chilima has challenged researchers in the country to develop homegrown innovations and technologies to achieve the new vision of inclusive wealth creation and self-reliance. Chilima, who is also Minister of Economic Planning & Development and Public Sector Reforms, made the call on Wednesday when he officially opened the 3rd National Innovations and Research Dissemination Conference in Mangochi. The Vice-President said the vision’s three pillars of agriculture productivity and commercialization, industrialization and urbanization will…

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Some of the beneficiaries By Duncan Mlanjira As the country has started receiving rains, Malawi Relief Fund UK (MRF-UK) donated 5,000 bags of fertilizer to rural farmers in Balaka to assist them attain good yields. Presenting the donation, MRF-UK country coordinator, Yakub Valli said Malawi has the potential to attain food security if vulnerable communities have access to farm inputs just as the Tonse government is striving to achieve through the Affordable Input Programme (AIP). “Vulnerable communities are in…

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By Aisha Amidu, MANA Various ministries — Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Information, Civic Education and National Unity, Transport and Public Works and Homeland Security — are now working together to protect the Affordable Input Programme (AIP) following allegations that there is abuse of resources in different areas where the programme has been allocated. Updating journalists at a press briefing held on Thursday, Minister of Agriculture, Lobin Lowe said with the joint forces, the ministry is positive that AIP…

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By Daniel Namwini, MANA Eight cooperatives, under Agriculture Commercialisation (AGCOM) tproject, have been awarded project grants worth K355.2 million to increase their agricultural value chains covering crops, horticulture, livestock and aquaculture. Among the awardees are Shire Highlands Milk Producers Association (SHMPA) from Blantyre; ACADES Youth Producers Association; Likuni Milk Bulking Group (both from Lilongwe); Mchinji Dairy Cooperative from Mchinji. Others are Mzuzu Livestock Cooperative from Mzimba North; Chisenga Honey Producers and Marketing Cooperative from Chitipa; Nsanama Women Cassava Producer…

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By Mphatso Nkuonera, MANA Paramount Chiefs have said the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) would be a great success if past fraudulent practices were curbed that were experienced in the previous Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP). Speaking in separate telephone interviews, Chiefs tipped government to use various areas of flops the FISP registered if AIP is to succeed. Yao Paramount Chief Kawinga lauded government for scaling up the numbers of beneficiaries, saying it would reduce frictions between the chiefs and…

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