The Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) has appealed for K100 billion in recapitalisation to stock its warehouses with 89,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser, according to Nation Online. Acting Chief Executive Officer Master Gadama stated that the funding would stabilise local prices and allow the organisation to complete subsidy programme procurements by August. The fund's financial position is currently strained by K23.5 billion in unpaid debts from the Mega Farms Unit and the National Economic Empowerment Fund. Gadama added that SFFRFM is exploring the establishment of a local fertiliser manufacturing plant, a move that agriculture expert Leonard Chimwaza suggested should be done through privatisation.
In the horticultural sector, GBI Greenhouse Limited has exported over 1,100 tons of bell peppers to South Africa over the past two years, reducing Malawi's reliance on vegetable imports, Nyasa Times reports. The 30-hectare joint venture between the government and Inosselia Commercial operates 16 greenhouses near Kamuzu International Airport. Despite achieving year-round crop production, General Manager Tamandani Chanza noted that foreign exchange shortages are delaying the importation of essential farming inputs and threatening future planting seasons.
Update: The Department of Disaster Management Affairs has released new data on recent severe floods, which have killed 13 people and affected 9,598 households. Relief workers report that the deaths and displacements were primarily caused by collapsing houses, mudslides, and washed-away infrastructure across multiple districts. Authorities are currently providing general relief assistance to displaced families while appealing for increased private sector and international support.