Malawi can end hunger within a year-Govt

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Benedicto Chambo says Malawi has the potential to end hunger within a year if government programs like loans are targeted at active and productive individuals.

Chambo said this in Mzuzu on Saturday during a National Economic Empowerment (NEEF) interface with members of Nyika Media Club (NMC), and civil society organizations from the northern region.

Chambo said it is very possible to end hunger by reaching and ensuring that all productive individuals like journalists, members of civil society, politicians, and government employees take part in farming.

“You see we have an advantage, NEEF is giving out loans to farmers, but look at the types of farmers that are taking the loans, the size of their land. If we have collaborative measures involving all stakeholders like the media, if we say every media personnel should have five hectares then we give them loans from NEEF, the same with directors in ministries even parastatals to take 20 hectares or more, Members of Parliament (MPs) all 193, they do 30 hectares or more, then, we are ending the hunger,” Chambo said.

He added; “If we take the same measures in irrigation, we can end hunger maybe by 30-40 percent. We have all the resources in our country but our mindset our interests are different from ending the hunger. So, we need to have the policies starting from our ministries saying our directors in all ministries should participate in farming, every MP in every constituency has to participate even us ministers have to take a role. It is a contributive role.”

Chambo said targeting people who have little potential is derailing efforts to end hunger in the country as those currently targeted do not put the resources to good use.

“We are not using the resources fully because we are not targeting the active group. If you take just everybody, like other people right now they say I would like to take a loan from NEEF maybe 20 bags, they sell 10 bags and only the 10 go to the field, what is the end of that is that production is low even the payment of the loan will not be done,” he said.

“So, we have to target the productive people who can do it. That is why I said the people to do it should be us politicians, the ministers even you the media. You can get allowances or salary, which can provide you with ready food for today and tomorrow but the farmers we are giving the loans they do not have ready food, and the next thing to do is to sell the bags of fertilizer so they can get the food,” Chambo said.

“You can even take your salary or the allowances you get sometimes to give to someone to work in your fields while for the farmer they will say for me to speed up my work let me sell three bags that I have taken from NEEF, that is again reducing the production in their farms,” he added.

In his remarks, NMC Chairperson Feston Malekezo challenged journalists to venture into entrepreneurship to diversify their income.

Malekezo said; “Journalists like any other Malawian need money, and there is NEEF, which is there to empower people and luckily, journalists are part of those people. Journalists need to be empowered so they can stand on their feet without depending on somebody and that will be a benchmark for them to refrain from other things like say corruption or being compromised in their work.”

“I would like to appeal to NEEF to open its doors for the media to access loans that can help them venture into entrepreneurship so they can balance their economic livelihoods but also their profession. It is just a matter of diversifying and not leaving the profession, you can be a farmer and at the same time a journalist but, how do you become a good farmer, it is a matter of having resources, where do you get the resources, these are some of the windows” he said.

On his part, Robert Mkwezalamba, the Board Chairperson for the National Advocacy Platform (NAP), speaking on behalf of civil society organizations, said it is a welcome call for various stakeholders to participate in ending hunger in the country.

“We heard the call and we welcome it. What is key or what we find as crucial is that there was no appropriate information for the public or civil society. So, through the interface meeting that we have had, it has been clarified in terms of what services are available at NEEF and what the nation is doing,” Mkwezalamba said.

He added; “As citizens, we have the duty and responsibilities to participate in accessing these loans and facilities and services, but, on the other hand, we also must raise awareness to the public to say they need to take part in getting access to NEEF loans so that next year they should grow as small-scale farmers to be integrated into the AGCOM program later in two years or so they can migrate into mega farm players.”

“The challenge has been maybe the way it has been publicized as if it is difficult for an ordinary Malawian to participate because they feel if it is mega-farms, it is for big conglomerates, if it is AGCOM, there is a type of individuals who are supposed to access but maybe for them is the AIP. But, now with NEEF they need to appreciate they also can access the loans and be able to participate in farming and provide Malawi with sufficient food,” Mkwezalamba said.

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