Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has announced of trials for area specific fertiliser expected to address nutrient needs in a bid to boost production will start during the 2019/20 growing season.

According to the ministry’s deputy director for land resource survey and evaluation Gilbert Kupunda, the current uniform fertilisers nationwide make farmers pay more for nutrients that may not be needed within their areas; hence, the need to change the course. He said the ministry drafted a soil mapping steering committee to facilitate the development of area specific fertiliser recommendation nationwide. “We want to devolve the fertiliser that will actually address the needs for that specific area. When you use the bracket fertiliser, you make farmers pay more for nutrients that they don’t need.” said Kupunda

The announcement came after the World Bank attributed Malawi’s low growth in the agricultural sector to the Farm Input Subsidy Program (Fisp), says the World Bank. While the Bank has not directly halted the program, it has noted that fisp has not been effective since 2010. Fisp targets poor small holder farmers, providing them with affordable fertiliser, but the World Bank noted that the farmers that purchase the fertiliser via the program are lesser than the targeted amount. However, during the State of the Nation Address, President Peter Mutharika vouched for the program, saying it helps out underprivileged farmers. The fertiliser trials are expected to run for two years from date of implementation.