A few months ago, the Malawi President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, directed that all fertilizer procurements for the 2023/2024 farming season should be done by end of June.
The Agriculture Minister, Sam Dalitso Kawale, appears to have taken that order with all the seriousness that it carried as reports indicate that the Agriculture ministry has not only finished the supply contracts awarding process, but also that at least over 50% of the needed fertilizer quantities has already landed in the country.
The Government, according to briefing by the Agriculture Minster, has awarded the fertilizer and seed supply contracts to thirteen (13) fertilizer suppliers who are expected to supply 149,164 metric tons of NPK and Urea fertilizer through SFFRFM before the fall of first planting rains this year.
The companies that have been awarded the contracts include:
– Optichem (2000) Limited
– ETG Inputs Ltd
– Farmers World
– Afriventures Blantyre Limited
– Mediterranean Fertilizers DMCC
– Malawi Fertilizer Company
– Saeed Investments
– Chipala Investments
– Sealand Investments Ltd
– Midima Holdings Ltd
– Chipiku Stores
– Zathu Trading
– Paramount Holdings Limited
“between these companies, about 80,000MT of fertilizer is already in the country, which is 53% of what we need. The balance will be in the country before we launch the program”, says the Agriculture Minster.
The Minster has further pronounced that procurement of transportation services is at advanced stage, with an award of contracts to successful transporters is expected to be done by this month end.
“The procurement of seeds and female goats for the program will be advertised in widely circulated newspapers in a week starting from 2nd July 2023′, further informs the Minister.
