President Lazarus Chakwera has warned his officials against laxity in the implementation of the Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) which has this year faced worrying setbacks.
The President issued the caution in Ntcheu at Kuyenda Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority Makwangwala at a development rally after he had inspected crops in the district.
He took note of the problems that the program has faced but asked Ministry of Agriculture officials to start early preparations for this year’s program.
“It is wise to start now than wait for September when people have already prepared their fields in readiness for first rains. Let us always be ahead of time,” he said.
During the tour he visited the three farms where farmers are growing crops in clusters.
The first stop was at Kam’bebe Village in Traditional Authority (TA) Njolomole where he met a small scare farmer, Martha Weston, who expressed optimism on the impending harvest.
Weston, who farms on a two-acre land, said she expects a yield of up to 60 bags of maize compared to 24 she used to get previously.
Thereafter, the Malawi leader visited Baleni Village, TA Njolomole, where farmers have an eight-kilometre stretch of Maize field standing on a 43.2 hectare of land.
Dr. Chakwera’s last stop was at Bula Village in TA Makwangwala’s area. There he inspected pigeon pea and soya farms where farmers are growing the legumes to restore soil fertility and improve their incomes.
