Ahead of the 2025/2026 dry season, state governments are stepping up efforts to strengthen food production by supporting about 214,000 farmers with input subsidies, advisory services, and limited irrigation assistance. The goal is to help smallholder farmers sustain productivity during the dry months when water scarcity often limits output.
However, the sector still faces a critical challenge: fewer than 30% of farmers currently have access to motorised irrigation systems. This gap raises serious concerns about the sustainability of dry-season farming, especially at a time when demand for local food supply continues to rise and climate pressures intensify.
To address these structural weaknesses, officials are banking on the National Agricultural Production Mechanism (NAPM) pilot, launched in May 2025. The initiative — set to run across four production seasons — will test whether a coordinated approach can improve linkages between production, trade, and national food reserves. Insights from the pilot will guide decisions on whether to expand the mechanism nationwide.
For SMEs along the agricultural value chain, the success of this pilot could determine future access to inputs, more efficient market coordination, and improved policy support for small-scale producers.
