|
|
|
|
| National |
| Fertiliser crisis blamed on poor govt planning |
|
by
Bright Sonani, 31 December 2004
-
12:02:19
|
National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (Nasfam) has blamed the current fertiliser crisis on lack of proper planning and delays of the agricultural input subsidy programme which left many farmers looking forward to cheaper inputs instead of getting prepared on their own.
Nasfam Crop Production Director Duncan Warren, who is also acting Chief Executive, warned that the crisis means a critical food shortage next year and that the country’s main foreign exchange earner tobacco is also likely to suffer.
Warren in an interview on Thursday also said even if the fertiliser would be available on the market now, the situation will not be reversed.
“Some of the maize is already starting to yellow. We will have the harvest, yes, but the yields will still be low,” he said.
He said the only remedy now is to urge farmers to use “whatever fertiliser is available such as compound D which also has P and K (phosphorus and potassium).”
Warren said the effect of non-application of fertiliser, especially nitrogens which are most needed now, will be compounded by the heavy rains in certain parts of the country which results into naturally available nitrogen being washed away.
On tobacco, Warren said the scarcity of Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) and other compounds, which are used as second top dressers, will not only affect the volume but also the quality of the cash crop.
“Unfortunately at this stage it is too late to apply manure. Our only plea is that farmers should always be prepared for such situations. The problem this year is that most farmers were waiting for subsidised fertiliser. The subsidy is partially to blame for the situation,” he said.
Warren said apart from the subsidy issue, the fertiliser problem was also due to demand on the world market, especially in China and logistical problems in the ports of entry.
“In future we should have forward planning. On subsidy, we should plan ahead on whether it should continue and categorically explained how it is going to be implemented. The fertiliser should be imported in good time and the whole population should be informed,” he said.
Warren said after noting the critical situation, Nasfam wanted to intervene by ordering its own fertiliser but later realised that ordering it now would be useless as it would take another six weeks to have the consignment in the country.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sidik Mia two weeks ago told the nation that at least 30,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser was on its way into the country and would be in within two weeks. But by this week no supplier, including the major ones—Admarc and Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM)—had fertiliser stocks.
SFFRFM general manager Bester Ndisale said the company was facing transport problems but it has made arrangements to bring in some fertiliser.
He concurred with Warren that the problem with the fertiliser which would be arriving is that the season was now advanced for application.
“I cannot tell you exactly when this fertiliser would be arriving, but still Tip (target input programme) will be our priority,” said Ndisale.
Admarc acting general manager Alfred Kuthemba Mwale on Thursday could not shed light on the fertiliser situation at his company.
“I am blank myself. Should the information be available you would be contacted,” said Kuthemba Mwale.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Andrew Daudi said the fertiliser would be available any time.
He said government had a Tip meeting with the suppliers who indicated that the fertiliser has already left the ports of Durban, Nacala and Beira.
On Nasfam’s concerns, Daudi said: “The problem with us is that we want to plant today and harvest tomorrow, let us wait and see. At the moment we have distributed 29,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser on Tip while last year by this same time we had distributed 17,000 metric tonnes. This year that is 56 percent while last year that was 100 percent, so we cannot conclude about our yields. Let us wait till May.”
Daudi said the country will only face famine if rains stopped now.
He said government was aware that in some areas the maize has overgrown but said there were some districts like Karonga which have not yet planted. He said Malawi’s target for finalising application of fertiliser is always January 15.
On tobacco, Daudi said that was up to the commercial suppliers to make sure that fertiliser for tobacco is available to farmers..
“We are only consulting with private suppliers on the Tip. They do not consult us when they are ordering for commercial purposes and we might not know their problems,” he said.
“But what you have to bear in mind is that this is a worldwide problem and with the Indian Ocean problem I have a feeling that some ships are stuck and let’s hope that our ships are not stuck as well,” added Daudi.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
