The program’s local government officer, Frank Mkwaila, says the beneficiaries will be drawn from Mulanje, Thyolo, Blantyre, Chiradzulo, Zomba and Machinga districts.

“The farmers will receive a loan package of NPK and UREA fertilizers, maize, soya and groundnuts seeds and the loan is payable in ten months,” said Mkwaila.

He also said apart from farm inputs, a farmer will receive tree seedlings for afforestation, a solar lamp and cellphone

Thyolo District Council Chief Agriculture Officer, Mirriam Kumwenda, urged farmers “to treat this loan as an opportunity that will boost their harvests resulting in food security at household, community and national level.”

Mafunga Brighton from Magwira village and Emily Matiki from Mpheto village in Thyolo have higher prospects of bumper yields following the program.

“We will eventually have no excuse in repaying the loans provided we have good rains,” they said.

One Acre Fund started in Zomba in 2013 with 71 farmers, last year the number of beneficiaries increased to 25, 544 and this year the number has increased to 56, 331.