In a full council meeting held yesterday, one of the Authorities from Agricultural Office, Francis Master said the decline is as a result of criteria used for this year that includes; citizen of the community, has access of land about 0.4 hectares, belongs to a farmer organization, does not receive support from other programmes and has no history of selling farm inputs support.

He added that this year, inputs will be supplied by both private seed and public fertilizer companies unlike last year.

Meanwhile, Bwabwali Ward Councilor Gerald Bede, has worried with delays to supply the affordable inputs in his newly established constituency.

Taking his turn, Chikwawa District Council Chairperson, Councilor Wyson Bush has urged everyone benefiting from the program to make proper use of the opportunity and refrain from selling the inputs to vendors in order to fight famine.

So far reports indicate that some farmers in Mikalango ward have already started selling their inputs to vendors.