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The National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (Nasfam) has asked government to speed up the introduction of the national identity cards to complement the implementation of next growing season's fertiliser subsidy.
Nasfam development director Betty Chinyamunyamu said for an effective implementation of the coupon system government should fast track implementation of national IDs to curb misallocation and theft. She also felt that the security features on the coupons themselves should be improved and issed coupons stamped.
Chinyamunyamu also suggested that the distribution of the subsidised fertiliser should be improved by involving agriculture extension staff and Village Development Committees (VDCs) to work hand in hand to facilitate and monitor coupon distribution. "There should not be any single authority to have sole discretion over the distribution. We also want the fertiliser for tobacco to be linked to the Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) registration systems so that only those farmers who are registered with TCC and sell their tobacco on the auction should benefit," she said. She said without the involvement of TCC, the VDCs fail to identify registered tobacco growers and that the process of identifying credible farmers and distribution should be done by recognised institutions such as the Tobacco Association of Malawi and Nasfam.
The Nation
