IFAD Mission in Malawi to Assess Impact of Agricultural Support Programme
SAPP II is part of Malawi’s broader efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity, enhance resilience to climate shocks and improve food security among smallholder farming households.
LILONGWE, Malawi — A delegation from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is in Malawi to assess the implementation and impact of the second phase of the Sustainable Agricultural Production Programme (SAPP II), writes Gladys Nthenda.
The 12-member team is conducting a Supervision Mission from June 22 to July 3, 2026, to review project performance and determine whether programme objectives are being achieved.
According to programme officials, the mission will assess overall implementation progress, review fiduciary, social, environmental and climate safeguard compliance, monitor project risks and ensure resources have been utilized in accordance with project objectives and legal agreements.
One of the key interventions under SAPP II is the Response to Emergencies and Disasters (RED) initiative, which supported vulnerable smallholder farmers affected by adverse weather conditions during the 2025/26 growing season.
Through the initiative, beneficiaries received coupons that enabled them to purchase two 50-kilogram bags of fertilizer at a subsidized price of K10,000 each and obtain certified maize seed free of charge.
The subsidized inputs programme was designed to help households affected by disasters restore agricultural production, improve food security and rebuild their livelihoods.
The $3 million IFAD-funded intervention followed President Peter Mutharika‘s declaration of a state of disaster related to food insecurity in October last year across 11 districts.
Among the beneficiaries is 28-year-old Ephraim Chinjani of Zimthenga Village in Lilongwe Rural, who received subsidized inputs together with his wife after their household was affected by prolonged dry spells.
The couple harvested 65 bags of maize from a one-acre field during the last growing season.
Chinjani attributed the improved harvest to the timely delivery of farm inputs and adherence to recommended farming practices.
“As a family with two children, we have planned that 18 bags will go towards our food needs, while the remaining 47 bags will help us purchase fertilizer for the next growing season to improve our productivity,” he said.
He also appealed to IFAD and government authorities to increase the number of beneficiaries under the programme.
His wife praised the intervention, saying the improved harvest had strengthened the family’s food security and reduced household stress.
She said the availability of sufficient food has enabled their children to focus on their education without worrying about hunger.
The IFAD mission is expected to engage with government officials, project implementing partners and beneficiary communities across project areas to assess achievements, identify challenges and provide recommendations for improving programme implementation.
SAPP II is part of Malawi’s broader efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity, enhance resilience to climate shocks and improve food security among smallholder farming households.