LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights groups have expressed satisfactory over the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF)’s timely loan disbursement to local farmers to purchase fertilizers for 2024/2025 growing season.
The Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) have therefore urged the Malawi government to allocate more resources to NEEF to enable the agency to reach more farmers with loans for farm inputs.
Leading the news conference on Tuesday, February 4, 2024, in the capital Lilongwe, Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba observes that the NEEF farm inputs loans facility is having a great impact on farmers and is crucial to achieving food security.
However, he disclosed that there are a number of farmers who are on the waiting list for the loans hence the need for the government to pump in more resources into the initiative.
While chipping in National Advocacy Platform (NAP) National Coordinator Baxton Nkhoma has also called on NEEF to enhance disbursements but also prepare the facility for the 2025/2026 growing season for farmers to access inputs early.
“We are further calling upon NEEF to immediately begin preparing for the 2025 – 2026 farming season so that farmers should be able to access the inputs in good time.
“The Communities should be encouraged to intensify winter cropping and plant drought-resistant crops so as to avert hunger. Need to collaborate with ADMARC to open the markets in good time so that the produce is bought in good time,” appeals Nkhoma.
Forum for National Development (FND) National Coordinator Fryson Chodzi lauds, “We commend the positive partnership between NEEF and CSOs which represents a significant step toward realizing the shared vision of a more inclusive and economically empowered Malawi. Civil Society Organizations remain steadfast in their commitment to supporting this initiative through active monitoring, advocacy, and collaboration.
“Together, we can transform NEEF into a model of transparency and efficiency, providing equitable opportunities for all Malawians to thrive as a food secure and economic reliant nation where other initiatives prove difficult for Malawian farmers”.
Mkwezalamba urges, “We call on all Malawians to support NEEF and the program to ensure that the program is sustained, we fight abuse of the inputs and protect the program for a promising food secure Nation”.
This follows the study tour between 27th December 2024 to 17th January 2025 which NAP, HRCC and Forum for FND among others visited all sites NEEF undertook the official launch of the fertilizer loan distribution program to farmers in the central and southern districts of Malawi.
NEEF is targeting to reach 400 000 farmers with farm inputs loans in the 2024/2025 growing season. Parliament approved allocation of MK150 billion to support farmers with loans.
So far, the agency has disbursed K45 billion and reached to about 50 000 farmers.