The Malawi Government is facing a $32.6 million claim from East Bridge over unpaid fertiliser deliveries, with the company threatening to seize government assets abroad if the debt is not settled by March 10, 2026, according to Nyasa Times. While the Ministry of Finance and the Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) have denied the existence of any sovereign guarantees, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has intervened by restricting the export of $7 million worth of tobacco linked to East Bridge-affiliated companies as part of an ongoing corruption investigation.
The SFFRFM recently announced that fertiliser redemption under the 2025/2026 Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme (FISP) has reached 75 percent, covering about 825,000 beneficiaries, Nation Online reports. SFFRFM spokesperson Grace Thipa stated that poor road networks have complicated deliveries, prompting the agency to enlist the Malawi Defence Force to help transport agricultural inputs to hard-to-reach areas.
Update: Following the 54 percent reduction in the FISP allocation for the 2026/2027 agriculture budget, the government has detailed new funding directions for food security. According to Nation Online, the K931.1 billion agriculture budget includes K60 billion for the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) to purchase commercial maize, and another K60 billion for the National Food Reserve Agency to replenish the Strategic Grain Reserve. The government has also allocated K14 billion to expand the Mega Farm initiative through the Malawi Defence Force, prison services, and universities.