Agriculture Minister Roza Mbilizi is facing mounting criticism over a fertiliser rollout branded a failure as thousands of farmers fear they could be pushed towards hunger if vital inputs do not arrive before the planting rains.
An editorial in The Nation has delivered a damning verdict on the handling of the Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme (Fisp), arguing that government has failed to get ahead of the annual race against the weather.
The newspaper says authorities must urgently accelerate procurement and distribution, be transparent about fertiliser stocks and delivery schedules, and ensure supplies reach farming communities before the rains move from the South through the Centre and North.
Those warnings come as farmers across Malawi report delays in receiving subsidised fertiliser, raising fears of a poor 2026/27 harvest.
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The situation is particularly alarming because many growers are also being encouraged to use Mbeya, a blended fertiliser made from NPK and urea and promoted as an alternative to conventional products.
But there is a catch: Mbeya takes about 21 days to prepare, while basal fertiliser should be applied at planting or within a week of sowing.
With rains expected in parts of the Southern Region during or shortly after the second week of November, farmers fear they are running out of time.
In Lunia Village, Blantyre, Joseph Mwasiya, chairperson of the Nzeru N'chuma Farmers Club, said many farmers have neither received their Fisp fertiliser nor been taught how to make Mbeya.
"To make matters worse, we also don't know how to produce Mbeya fertiliser because no one from government came to teach us," he told the daily.
Mwasiya warned that unless the situation improves quickly, communities could face severe food shortages next year.
Nationally, the outlook is equally troubling. The Fertiliser Association of Malawi estimates current stocks at just 148,000 metric tonnes, far below annual demand of between 450,000 and 475,000 metric tonnes, leaving a potential shortfall of more than 300,000 tonnes.
Adding to the concern, Mwapata Institute executive director William Chadza said the 21-day preparation period for Mbeya could significantly disrupt farmers' planting plans if input deliveries continue to lag behind schedule.
For many growers, buying fertiliser privately is not an option. A 50-kilogramme bag of inorganic fertiliser now costs about K205,000, placing it beyond the reach of thousands of smallholder farmers already struggling with rising costs.
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The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development insists efforts are under way to avoid a crisis.
Ministry spokesperson Salome Gangire said officials have prioritised districts expected to receive the earliest rains, along with hard-to-reach areas.
The districts include Chikwawa, Nsanje, Neno, Mulanje, Thyolo, Mangochi, Dedza, Mchinji, Ntchisi, Nkhotakota, Nkhata Bay, Likoma, Mzimba South and Chitipa.
Gangire said the ministry remains confident that farmers will receive fertiliser before the rains arrive.
But with planting season fast approaching and fertiliser still missing from many depots, anxious farmers across Malawi are asking the same question: will the inputs arrive in time, or has another harvest already been put at risk?
