AGCOM II Distributes 15 Tractors to Farmer Groups Under Malawi Food Systems Resilience Program

The Agricultural Commercialisation Programme (AGCOM II) has handed over 15 tractors to farmer organizations under the Malawi Food Systems Resilience Programme’s Matching Grants Scheme, in a move aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and strengthening food security across the country.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at Capital Hill in Lilongwe, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Roza Mbilizi, said the investment in mechanization, irrigation technology, and market linkages is designed to transform Malawi’s agricultural sector and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

Mbilizi said AGCOM II is promoting climate-resilient agricultural research and technologies to help farmers adapt to the growing effects of climate change.

“The programme is developing new irrigation schemes and rehabilitating existing ones. By the end of this phase, we will have opened up more than 1,000 hectares of irrigated land,” she said.

AGCOM National Coordinator Dr. Teddie Nakhumwa said the mechanization initiative will enable farmers to reduce production costs, cultivate larger areas, and increase agricultural output.

“With these machines, farmers can plough more land and increase Malawi’s overall production,” said Nakhumwa.

He added that the programme plans to procure an additional 60 tractors for farmer groups that have expressed interest in accessing mechanized farming equipment.

Funded by the World Bank, AGCOM II provides matching grants, partial credit guarantees, and agribusiness training to organized farmer groups and agribusiness enterprises.

The US$20 million programme is being implemented nationwide in phases as part of efforts to build resilient food systems, improve agricultural commercialization, and enhance farmers’ access to modern farming technologies.

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