Invest In Large Scale Farmers - Opposition Parties

Opposition Parties in the National Assembly says Malawi can eradicate its perennial food shortages if Agricultural programs and resources are invested to large-scale farmers and not resource poor farmers.

The observation follows US$60 million loan authorization bill on International Fund for Agriculture Development Programme for Rural Irrigation Development which has been passed by Parliament on Tuesday evening where the main beneficiaries in the loan are 19, 500 poor households from number of districts across the country particularly in most areas affected by drought and 12, 300 hectares will be under irrigation through the project.

Khumbo Asks Chaponda To Have Listening Ear

Former Vice President and Member of Parliament for Mzimba South West, Khumbo Kachali has asked Government Ministers to listen to constructive views being suggested by some opposition legislators in ongoing National Assembly Meeting.

Kachali was reacting to Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda's outburst when Chitipa North legislator James Munthali said the agriculture minister has failed in his duties for not starting now the implementation of some of the measures that the ministry has put in place to avert hunger.

The former Agriculture Minister Hon James Munthali member for Chitipa North asked why Government has not started distribution of Treadle pumps, seeds and fertilizers now to avert hunger other than to wait, because the water is still available so that people can start to utilize this.

George Chaponda, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development also Leader of House responded with rants  by outburstly reminded Munthali that he as former agriculture minister failed during his time to rescue Malawians from hunger situation and that even maize rotten at National Food Reserve Agency when Malawians were facing hunger.

Mzimba South West Legislator, former Vice President, Khumbo Hastings Kachali who took the floor on point of order asked Chaponda to listen to views and not being political.

“So, it was unfortunate for the sitting Minister of Agriculture instead of taking note of the friendly advice he actually was saying no, why couldn’t you do it when you were in Government." noted Kachali in an interview 

"My concern was, we in opposition we have to give constructive ideas. And this was an idea from former minister of Agriculture. Instead of taking note and going back to the drawing board and say yes indeed we are late. But the sitting minister of agriculture is talking politics.” lamented Kachali

So, he said "that is what made me to stand up and say no, Government is a continuous process, and the challenges that we are facing now they are not only challenges for those members that are in the Government but for Malawians that is both in Government and in opposition."

He continued "Malawians are suffering; this time around there is no food, so we all have to bang our heads and find solution and here is an advice a solution let us start now. So my humble request is Government should also listen when opposition members are giving advice.”

He then hoped that his fellow cabinet ministers should advise Dr. Chaponda to have a listening ear and begin to take advices.

National Assembly Authorises Borrowing From OPEC, ADB For Mzimba Water Project

The National Assembly passed on Tuesday afternoon two loan bills for the Mzimba Integrated Urban Water and Sanitation Project.

The House authorises OPEC Fund for International Development Loan worth K8 billion whose payment plan is 20 years and within it is 5 year grace period with 1% of interest per year.

Later, the House was presented with another Loan Authorisation Bill amounting to K2.7 billion (US$ 2.6 Million) from African Development Bank for the same Project whose payment plan is 40 yeas with 10 years grace period.

Goodall 

Presenting the bill, Minister of Finance, Goodall Gondwe said the project will be implemented for a period of 4 years, to cost a total sum of US$22. 8 million and will be co-financed by OPEC, African Development Bank (ADB) and Government.

He said OPEC is providing 65% of the total cost, ADB will provide 22% while Government is expected to make 13% contribution.

While supporting the bill, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) shadow Minister of Finance, Alexander Kusamba Dzonzi expressed disappointment the borrowed money is not enough to completely end water problems for Mzimba district. 

Dzonzi said MCP would have loved to see government borrow US$55 Million which is actual amount that is required to Carter water challenges in Mzimba 

ARET, Chitedze Research De-linked From LUANAR

The National Assembly passes the bill detaching Agriculture Research Trust (ARET) and Chitedze Research Station from the Lilongwe University oAgriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR).

The two delinked institutions and the two colleges of Bunda College of Agriculture and Natural Resources College were joined during Bingu Wa Mutharika administration forming Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR).

Minister of Agriculture Irrigation and Water Development, Allan Chiyembekeza said during the Second Reading of the Bill 'Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Amendment)', that excluding the two institutions from forming LUANAR the country stands to benefit more.  

"Despite delinking of Chitedze and ARET from LUANAR, there will be strong collaboration between these two institutions and LUANAR on research technology, dissemination as well as teaching.

Staff from these institutions should be allowed to teach at LUANAR, conduct research and supervising research but with agreed time allocations and associated rewards while retaining their core functions over bride research to address national agricultural research problems." Said Chiyembekeza

He further told the house that the amended legislation apart from enabling ARET and Chitedze Research Station maintain their identities and core functions, said ARET will return its mandate of promoting tobacco production and remain as a centre of excellence for tobacco and no loss of jobs at both institutions;

"Government control of the National Agriculture Research Agenda will be maintained, the cost of relocating Regulatory and Technical the functions from Chitedze Research Station and ARET and Re-orientation of the other research stations will be avoided and the future of the international Agriculture Research Centres that are based at Chitedze Research Station will also be ensured." he added

The minister mentioned that integrating Chitedze Research Station into LUANAR would have brought more negative implications which includes: loss of Government control of the National Agriculture Research Agenda; High cost of relocating Regulatory, Technical and the Advisory functions from Chitedze; 

“Shifting priority for Agriculture Research, re-orientation of the rest of the research stations in the ministry, uncertainty over the livestock of research and infrastructure and uncertainty over the future on the international agriculture research centres that are housed at Chitedze Research centre." He said

The minister also noted that Government created ARET as the model for Public Private Partnership which the country needs to learn from and replicate to continue championing in the production of tobacco in this country.

Responding to the bill, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesperson on Agriculture, Felix Jumbe made no objection to the provisions in the bill.

However, Jumbe said; "Including Chitedze in LUANAR it was a quite an anomaly. We would rather wish Chitedze become a Commission and excluded from Ministry of Agriculture"

Similarly, People's Party (PP) shadow Minister of Agriculture, Dr. James Munthali supported the bill but taunted the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Government for making a u-turn over the decision it made some years ago.

ARET was established in 1995 through a Trust deed with the ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development and Tobacco Association of Malawi (TAMA) as donors and trustees. TAMA and some stakeholders in the tobacco industry resisted the integration of ARET into LUANAR.