Date Of Article: 5/29/2002
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DFID to fund starter-pack
By: Joseph Langa
Government has said it will from this season, revert to a full fledged starter pack programme to be funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). The programme is expected to benefit 2.8 million farm families and yield 2.5 million metric tonnes of maize, which Agriculture Minister Aleke Banda says will be more than enough food for the whole country. Banda said the starter pack programme, which was trimmed and changed to Targeted Input Programme (TIP) in the 2000-2001 season because of pressure from donors, will be reintroduced this season following government’s agreement with donors to finance it. “It has always been our wish to continue the programme beyond the 2000 year but donors felt that the programme was promoting too much dependency among our people. We tried to convince them but they said no,’’ said Banda. He said the donors have agreed to fund the programme in reaction to last year’s food shortage, which he said was mainly due to the phasing out of the starter pack programme and introduction of TIP which only catered for 1 million farm families. “Last year’s hunger has convinced the donors, notably, Britain’s Department for International Development, to agree to support us in implementing a full fledged starter pack this year. “Not only for this year, but also for several years to come while we are working out medium to long term strategies which will take the place of the starter pack gradually,’’ he said. However, the minister could not be drawn to comment on the exact amount of money the donors have pledged to commit, saying government is still working out the programme cost with DFID and other donors. But Banda said the amount will slightly go beyond the US $28 million (about K2.1 billion) initial cost of the programme before it was changed. He said the reintroduction of the programme will enable the country to produce more than enough food for its people in the whole country as was the case before the programme was phased out. “All things being equal, with that size of starter pack, there is no reason why we shouldn’t produce more than enough food for the country. Our target is 2.5 million metric tonnes,’’ he said. Banda, who was briefing members of the press on the 2002 World Food Summit to be held in Rome from June 9 to 13, said he will at the summit emphasize the need for support to countries like Malawi to continue a programme like the starter pack. He said although governments committed themselves to reduce hunger during the 1996 World Summit, Malawi has been able to produce enough food only twice, in 1998-99 and 99-2000 due to the starter pack programme, and five times since 1986.
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