Mwanza excels in subsidy programme

With problems of police brutality in the previous season vanishing, Mwanza District performed well in the 2012 Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp), according to a review by the Kalondolondo Programme.

Results of a research carried out by the Community Partnership for Relief and Development (Copred) presented at Mwanza Hotel in southern Malawi last week showed that the district succeeded, with 80 percent of the respondents said it went on well.

Kalondolondo programme manager Jephter Mwanza said in spite of problems which rocked the system last year, including chiefs who returned money to small-scale farmers and got their subsidised fertilisers, the district registered major success, following the introduction of a block system in buying subsidised inputs.

“Distribution hitches that were in the district like police brutality when people went to buy commodities last year were eased. We are also happy to note that village heads who abused their power in the programme were disciplined,” said Mwanza.

Mwanza district agriculture development officer (Dado) Vincent Wandale, said unity had driven successes.

“After observing problems in the previous years, we sat down to make the ride smoother. We have worked together with the Agriculture Ministry, chiefs, police and communities to make the programme a success. We ensured that the unavailability of subsidised inputs was history,” said Wandale.

Under the Kalondolondo Programme, districts are under scrutiny on how the programme went on last year.