25-Year-Old Arrested for Stealing Subsidized Fertilizer in Neno
Published on January 16, 2026 at 11:30 AM by Edgar Naitha
Police in Zalewa, Neno District, have arrested a 25-year-old man, Steven Taulo, for allegedly stealing 20 bags of fertilizer meant for beneficiaries of the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP).
Neno Police Public Relations Officer Rebecca Msoliza said Taulo, who works as a sales clerk at Malimba Depot, is suspected to have been involved in the theft.
She explained that on December 16, 2025, 20 beneficiaries each redeemed one bag of NPK fertilizer.
However, when the beneficiaries returned on January 9, 2026, to collect their remaining Urea fertilizer, they were informed that it had already been redeemed using their National Identity Cards.
The matter was reported to the Agriculture Office, and a system audit revealed that the fertilizer had been redeemed at Dzundu Market.
Further investigations conducted on January 14, 2026, involving police, agriculture officials, and representatives from the Smallholder Farmers Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFRFM), uncovered images of Taulo in the National Online System showing he had redeemed the fertilizer on behalf of the beneficiaries.
Taulo has since been arrested and is expected to appear in court soon to answer theft-related charges.
He hails from Namtapa Village under Traditional Authority Nkalo in Chiladzulu District.
