Egypt donates fertiliser to Malawi

Blantyre, Malawi - Egypt has donated 27.7 metric tonnes of Urea (fertiliser) to Malawi to boost the fertiliser subsidy programme of the country.

Speaking during the hand over ceremony in the capital, Lilongwe, the Egyptian Ambassador to Malawi, Akram Hamd, said his country believed in helping less-privileged African countries to achieve food sufficiency.

"Egypt is a good production country for fertilisers. It is our commitment for all brotherly nations in Africa to come together to assist each other to try to overcome the consequences of high prices of fertilisers and food shortages," Hamd said.

During the 2007/08 farming season, Malawi had a surplus harvest, such that it donated some to Swaziland and Lesotho and sold some to Zimbabwe.

The present regime has introduced a very expensive fertiliser subsidy programme that has seen a significant improvement in the production of maize, the staple food, but the programme has been bedeviled by lack of funds.

"It's our pleasure that we have come to the assistance of Malawi and we hope we can be able to assist Malawi to be able to succeed in the subsidy programme," said Hamd.

Malawi's Deputy Agriculture Minister Frank Mwenefumbo said the Egyptian fertiliser had come at the right time when government was planning to roll-out the 2008/09 fertiliser subsidy programme.

"We are looking for 170, 000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for this year," Mwenefumbo said.