Minister Mwanamveka not happy that Malawi is importing even bananas
Minister of Agriculture Irrigation and Water Development, Joseph Mwanamveka on Friday visited Malawi-China Agricultural Technical Cooperation Farm in Lilongwe where he moaned the current situation where the country is relying on importing horticultural food including bananas.
Mwanamveka challenged the country’s farmers to increase horticultural farming in order to reverse the situation.
“As Government, we also want to increase horticulture but we are not happy on what we are doing by importing even bananas from abroad,” he said. “We defeat the whole purpose of our determination to be more dominant as an exporting nation than being a dorminantly an importing country.”
Mwanamveka said Malawi is highly dependent on agriculture and shall remain so for many years to come, saying: “This being the case, Government continues to prioritise the agriculture sector and it is one of the key priority areas in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III).
“The ultimate objective is to turn Malawi from a predominantly importing and consuming nation to a predominantly producing and exporting nation.”
He said for the agriculture sector to develop, there is need for requisite skills and these are mainly acquired through hands on training from places like this Malawi-China Agricultural Technical Cooperation Farm in Lilongwe.
“It is therefore pleasing that the Government of the People’s Republic of China understands our developmental needs and is supporting us accordingly, he said.
He added that Malawi’s major export earner, tobacco, is facing some challenges because of the global anti-smoking lobby and that for this reason, Government through his ministry is advocating for diversification of other commercially viable crops to supplement tobacco.
“One such avenue is horticulture and as we work towards improving this sector, we need specially trained horticulturists who can facilitate production of high quality produce that will be competitive on the international markets. That is why we are very thankful to the Chinese Government through Your Excellency for revamping this centre as this will complement our efforts to improve horticulture in Malawi.”
On his part, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Hongyang Liu commended Malawi Government’s support which has reaped fruitful results.
The Ambassador said China and Malawi established diplomatic ties 10 years ago and the benefits have been plenty.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
You killed all sub district agricultural structures with your ineffective subsidy program. There are no agricultural Advisors in the communities to offer technical support to farmers. And now you are surprised that farmers are failing to produce even bananas etc. SHAME on you and the entire leadership. For how long are you going to give excuses. Go to Asia see countries who were poor like us in 1960s 70s, see where there are now. Go to Thailand, Sing spore, Malaysia etc.
Am so ashamed to be a Malawian honestly.
Koma zina ukamva! Lero limenelo anduna …….masamatiseketse tisakufuna inu anthu a DPP mwamva
Tsilu lina ndi limeneloiso.
mwadziwa lelo za ulimi????????????????????????????? mxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
pano kwathu kuli ma facory angapo okoza zakudya zathu zomwezi kuti nthawi yake ikatha tizipitilila kudyedwabe. komatu ai wina angobwera ndi ma closure, privatization, ma Chinese abweretsedwa kumatimwetsa coloured juices i mean powder mixed with water because they shower people like you with huge sums of cash. fucking bastards
In a world of free trade consumers have a choice to import or buy local depending on value for money. Until Malawi is serious about producing cheap but high quality products, consumers will continue importing even vegetables. Why is it that Malawi companies can’t make or produce same high quality items as in RSA or Europe. Surely we can make matchsticks. This is where the gift should be focusing on. Subsidise any importer of manufacturing equipment from China not just tax exemption.
KAMUZU WAS MEANING WHAT
HE WAS SAYING —KAMUZU WAS
MCHIKUMBE NUMBER 1– PRESS FARMING / PRESS AGRICULTURE WERE TICKING NOT JUST WORDS — WHERE ARE OUR TRACTORS BOUGHT FROM INDIA
You are accepting that u have ineed failed this country. We import everything maungu ma orange mafuta ophikira furniture mapoto zovala ma toothpicks panopa tikufuna ndi magesi omwe. Foolish politician are killing malawians. Go and support rural peasant farmers. You shared tractors only to park them or munasandusa ma generator.. Becareful what will/is produced by chinese. Actually is not different from import. Such things used to be done by admarc press and other agricultiral research centres. AMALAWI SITICHEDWA KUYIWALA
Mr Mwanamveka, it means you are failing on your job. What is your ministry doing other than stealing from poor Malawians. You are one of the people encouraging nepotism. When there is a trip at your ministry for technocrats to go and learn in China or Japan , you substitute them with your cronies and chiefs from your area right. Dispute this if you want to coz I will give you the evidence. So the problem is you and your government. We are going to boot you out.
Hi sir who issues permits for importation of banana? Ur government.
Ur colleague advised private sectors to reduce prices to attract tourists but your government charges $75 for visas.!!!!! Kenya is $20.
There is something wrong.
Zoona you are noticing this now. Shame on you.
A whole minister says China understands Nyasaland’s developmental needs more than himself.
Shame!