By: Dr. Alex Banda
The Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) has become a monument to government failure and corruption. What was meant to secure food for millions has turned into a slow-moving disaster, leaving farmers abandoned, fields empty, and the nation on the brink of famine. This year’s chaos is no surprise — the signs were there, but the government chose to ignore them. Now, the consequences will be catastrophic.
The Ministry of Agriculture admits it: only 43% of fertilizer has been distributed. That’s less than half of what farmers need to survive. Without timely fertilizer, crops will fail. Without crops, hunger will spread. And without urgent intervention, Malawi will descend into food insecurity on a scale we haven’t seen in decades.
This is more than incompetence. It’s a betrayal. The National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM) and civil society groups have repeatedly warned that political interference, corruption, and mismanagement are killing the AIP. Fertilizer deals are given to political cronies instead of reliable suppliers, funds are misused, and farmers — the backbone of our economy — are left to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, government officials keep talking about “efforts” while the nation starves.
Enough is enough. This programme doesn’t need more excuses; it needs a total overhaul. Fire the corrupt officials who have turned AIP into a feeding ground for thieves. Ensure inputs are procured and distributed on time — not for votes, but for survival. Establish independent monitors to hold everyone accountable. Without these actions, Malawi’s food crisis will escalate beyond recovery, and the government will bear the full weight of that failure.
We are running out of time. Farmers deserve better. Malawi deserves better. If this government can’t fix AIP, it has no right to govern a country whose survival depends on agriculture. Step up — or step down.
