Ministry of Agriculture says it has deregistered some companies from the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) who were supplying counterfeit fertiliser.

The development follows growing concerns from farmers in some parts of the country who lamented that they were supplied fertiliser mixed with sand.

According to a statement signed by the ministry’s Principal Secretary Erica Maganga, the malpractices have been registered in central and southern regions.

Reads the statement: “The Ministry of Agriculture has learnt with great concern that some unscrupulous suppliers are selling fertiliser mixed with sand or packed in bags to Affordable Inputs Programme beneficiaries.”

These malpractices have been noted and reported from the Central and Southern region districts of the country.”

The Ministry says it is working in collaboration with the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to continue ascertaining quality of fertilizer.

“The Ministry is collaborating with MBS to continuously test and ascertain quality of fertilizers being sold through AIP and normal sales in all outlets in the country,” said Maganga.

She has since requested the general public to be vigilant and report to the Ministry or police on fertilizers feared to be counterfeit to curb the reported malpractices to the Ministry through toll free number 3013.

Meanwhile, police say they have made some arrests in relation to the development and in dealing with the perpetrators.