From basket case to food basket – Lessons to make hunger history
Without a doubt I vote Bingu wa Mutharika, the President of the Republic of Malawi, one of the best performing African Presidents. And the reason for it is simple; in 2004 when he came into power he made a pledge: “I will not be a president who goes around begging for food”. Unlike other rhetorical commitments we have often been treated to, he has put his words into action.
Malawi is an agriculture-based economy where agriculture contributes over 80% of export earnings; 38% GDP and supports 85% of the population. Smallholder farming (3.42 million households) contributes 75% of agricultural production. Maize is the staple food, grown by 97% of farming households and consumed by every Malawian. Prior to 2004, Malawi was forced into massive importation of maize for a number of consecutive years due to bad weather and low input uptake, among other factors.
In the 2004/5 season, many parts of the country were hit by prolonged dry spells. Yields in that year dropped to around 0.8 tons/ha, one of the lowest on record. The national production declined to less than 1.2 million Metric Tons, representing a decline of 24% from the previous year, approximately 60% of the estimated national maize food requirement. The whole country, and smallholder farmers in particular, were thrown into high risk and vulnerability.
In a space of three years, between 2005 and 2007, a miracle took place: the country has gone from food deficit of 43% to a food surplus of 57%; productivity increased two-fold from a ton per hectare to over 2 tons. Maize production nearly trebled from 1.23 million metric tons to 3.44 million metric tons. Malawians had enough and to export. As shown in the graph below, in 2009 the miracle is continuing.
How did the miracle take place?
The government doubled its expenditure on agriculture from 7.4% to 14%; scaled up access and affordability of farm inputs through rapid up-scaling of agro-dealers and a smart subsidy programme (through non-transferable coupons) for a whole range of farmers from vulnerable households through hard-working ones and adapters of new technologies.
From food exports and sales to the World Food Programme through the Purchase for Progress Programme, the country has been generating in excess of US120 million annually. This is then ploughed back for further scaling-up of the programme. And to ensure that smallholder farmers graduate faster from reliance on subsidized input for food security the government has embarked on a manure-making campaign; intensified extension and research in agriculture and the Greenbelt Initiative.
In 2003, in what is commonly referred to as the Maputo Protocol, African governments were supposed to have worked towards a similar miracle across the continent. They committed to spend 10% of their national budgets to agriculture in order to ensure food security to their citizens by 2015.
However, so far only 6 countries are coming good on this political commitment. Besides Malawi, they include Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Ethiopia. Nearly 7 years after making the political commitment, 17 countries still spend less than 5% of their national budgets on agriculture.
Malawi has restored faith in Africa by demonstrating that the continent need not become the world’s basket case. Effective ways to improve agriculture and combat food insecurity are no longer a secret.
In fact they are quite simple: scale up access and affordability of high yielding farm inputs through scaling up agro-dealers; put in place a smart subsidy programme for farmers; close the resource gap by leveraging commercial banks to lend more to agriculture through risk-sharing arrangements; build Africa’s capacity for evidence-based policies by strengthening policy institutions; and make operational policies to promote agro-processing and value addition.
However, the one ingredient that pulls all these solutions together is political will to deliver on commitments that have already been made.
As in the case of Malawi, donors may be resistant at the beginning but if the country hangs in there, in the end, as long as the programme is well run and corruption-free, everyone will want to associate with success as did the donor community in Malawi which provides budgetary support: DFID, EU, NORAD, Irish Aid, and World Bank among others. It is time that Africa took the initiative to make hunger history.–African Monitor
Archbishop Njongo Ndungane is the founder and president of African Monitor.
Alex Dziko…I suspect you live in South Africa.
So lets take something closer to you there…..South Africa. Can you tell me when Jackob Zuma was elected president of South Africa, did he appoint most of his senior subordinates in his new government, people from Kwamashu or Kwazulu Natal?? NO. He knows it can be suicidal, politically to do so.
So why should Bingu take Malawians as a bunch of anthu osapenya and putting the interest of LOMWE DYNASTY above the interest of the country at large??
What he is doing is exactly what led to the conflicts you have mentioned in Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Sudan, Chad and so on.
If he wants to make other clans/tribes/regions in Malawi look inferior, then thats where the trouble will start. Therefore as a good/visionary leader he should dispel such perception in people’s mind through practical fair dealings on the ground.
Besides whatever good things Bingu has done/is doing, we shouldn’t fail to point out his deliberate actions….or should we call it deliberate weakness???
For heavens sake this is Malawi for everyone in every corner of it …not just for THE LOMWE CLAN!! I voted for DPP and Bingu, but never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate this from Bingu just soon after the elections.
Parliamentarians on both sides of the house…don’t let this guy be a dictator, speak out, loud and clear whenever he tries to LOMWELIZE the organs of state power…after all thats what we call democracy!!!
Bingu should also be reminded that there is a clause in our constitution about impeachment proceedure should the progression of his DEMENTIA gone faster than we anticipated!
I concur with Alex Dziko et al who have spoken against tribalism. It is a cancer that must be rooted out of Malawi politics. I am vehemently opposed to any form of tribalism, districtism, religionisim, regionalism etc. We are all Malawian first and foremost. If it is true this government, after such a historic election that transcended regionalism and tribalism, will resort policies of division and tribalism then it will be a great shame for our country. I live in the UK so I do not have first hand experience of this tribalism being purported here. I have been impressed by the govt and president’s drive against corruption and tackling of hunger. But these are worrying developments. If DPP is to be truly progressive party that can rule the country past Munthalika then please steer away from tribalism/regionalism be the party for all Malawians- and that means dividing the cake equally to all Malawians. I have many Lomwe friends who are absolutely brilliant people in their chosen fields. But so are colleagues from Chewas, Yawos,Tumbukas, Ngonis, Tongas, Nkondes etc. I have confidence in this president so I hope he will address this cancerous problem and govern from the centre as a true Malawian leader who transcends tribalism. Otherwise DPP will suffer the same fate as UDF and MCP in the long run or past Munthalika’s rule. I was hoping that DPP will cut itself as an all inclusive party rather than a party that perpetuates tribalsism in Malawi. I love all Malawians and would like to everyone participate in our national development regardless of their tribe. Otherwise we are going back to the bad old days of unnecessary divisions in our country. Stop it!
Bingu has become some peoples god / goddess that’s very stupid. Many people have forgotten to thank the provider and the feeder the Almighty God. Please, don’t forget that God is the only one who scheduled you what you will eat during your life time. No Bingu nor Muluzi no any other creature can feed you except the one who created you. Tired with nonsense things here. The one who feed you in the womb is the same one to feed you but don’t wait for manna. Just be industrious.
Am achewa and idon’t have any problem with Bingu appointment,it becomes aproblem if the people he appoint are incompetent after all what does the contitution say on appointment its prologative of the head of state to appoint ministers,so lets stop thinking about regional and tribe line,coz arleady other akudandaula kuti asilamu siokwanira in the cabinet next tiyamba kumva zoti atchalitchi chakuti mulibe m’boma all these are nonses what we need are the people who can do the job for the betterment of malawi, all of you who are busy blaming Bingu you belong to the politics of Muluzi,Tembo and Chakuwamba ndale zakele
Ikachuluka Mulhako wa Alomwe malawians have to be suspicious.Why should Lomwes only be taken clever and sharp during Bingu’s time?? You mean there no other people from other region who are sharp and competent?? He is creating his own downfall..he started well…but every big post in Malawi nowadays is associated with Lomwes.Mind you malawians are watching..Never say that you were not warned.
AbINGU WOYEE ANTHU TINATOPA KUTAFUNA MINKHAKA. A GALU ANKASOWA CHAKUDYA CHIFUKWA MINKHAKA KWA IWO NDI POISON.
Briliant!!!
We need Continuous improvement. We know you can continue doing so. Malawi is now a very good bench mark for all countires in Africa.