A sprawling greenhouse farm near Kamuzu International Airport has been hailed as a game-changer for Malawi’s agricultural sector, generating vital foreign exchange and creating opportunities for hundreds of Malawians in what was once barren ground. Izhak Kanes, Chairperson of the Board of Inosselia Commercial, praised GBI Greenhouse Limited (GGL) for its year-round production of premium […]
Malawi’s agriculture sector marked a major milestone this week as AGRA Malawi celebrated its 20th anniversary in Lilongwe, bringing together government leaders, development partners, researchers and private sector stakeholders to reflect on two decades of progress and chart a course for the future. Opening the celebrations, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Fatch […]
Innovators from Malawi’s top agricultural university have urged smallholder farmers to adopt modern farming technology following their success at an international innovation contest. Students from the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) secured second place at the China-Africa Innovation Challenge in Nairobi, Kenya, with a project focused on small-scale, technology-driven farming. The initiative, […]
Two students from the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) have won a gold medal at a continental competition in Nairobi, in what is bein g described as a historic result for Malawi in African agricultural innovation. Ufulu Kampinga and Monica Didas took first prize at the China-Africa Regional Competition, held for undergraduate […]
Malawi’s Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr Ben Malunga Phiri, has said the country must invest in value addition if farmers are to fully benefit from their produce, as government broke ground on a modern market facility in Lilongwe’s Area 1. Phiri presided over the ceremony on Thursday, part of a nationwide initiative […]
Malawi’s Agriculture Minister has given technical experts just three months to complete a new national food and agriculture investment strategy — and has warned that implementation must follow without delay. Roza Mbilizi issued the directive at the launch of the National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan (Nasip) formulation exercise in Lilongwe, held jointly by her ministry […]
If one takes an exploration of all the development policy documents that have been developed in Malawi over the past 50 years, one will most certainly note that one familiar statement is constantly being mentioned. This statement is that “agriculture is the mainstay of the economy,” or “agriculture is the economic backbone of the country”. […]
Malawi has potential to realize over K61 billion from maize exports, translating into increased net wealth by one percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), agricultural and commodity exchange experts have said. The experts made the sentiments on Thursday evening during a panel discussion the National Planning Commission (NPC) organization with technical support from the […]
Malawi is set to host a two-day conference for African Agribusiness Incubators’ Network (Aain) this October after a unanimous vote from other African countries. Confirming the news, Aain chief executive officer Professor Alex Ariho said the network, which comprises incubators from 55 African countries, voted for Malawi following strides the country has made in agribusiness […]
The Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) has trashed this year’s farm gate prices, describing them as unsatisfactory. The ministry of agriculture released the prices that government set for traders and State produce marketer Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc)to use, includes setting price of maize at K150 per kilogram from last year’s K200 per kilogram. […]
The Board chairperson for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Hailemariam Desalegn — who is also former Prime Minister of Ethiopia — met with Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera at State House in Lilongwe on Saturday where they discussed progress on the country’s agricultural transformation. AGRA is Malawi’s key agriculture partner working to transform the country’s […]
In a quest to help farmers affected by drought in some parts of southern region, Peacock Seed Company on Thursday donated 13 Metric Tons of maize seed to Blantyre Agriculture Development Division (ADD) worthy K21 million for winter cropping. Some of the farmers affected are from Thyolo, Blantyre, Neno, Mwanza, Nsanje, Chikwawa and Phalombe districts. […]
Agricultural Commercialisation Project (Agcom) funding of K19 250,000 to Mchinji Dairy Farmers Cooperative has been used to procure three machines worth K12 million to be used to make feed for dairy cattle. Mchinji Dairy Cooperative Chair Clement Mayeso Banda confirmed to Nyasa Times about the procurement, saying the Cooperative is expected to grow on its output […]
Smallholder farmers from Dowa and Mchinji have expressed disappointment with the delay by the Tonse Alliance-led government to start championing pro-poor policies. Speaking at a press briefing in Lilongwe this morning, the concerned farmers pleaded with the government to remove value added tax (VAT) on cooking oil to save local cooking oil producers from closing […]
Some farmers in Kasungu have switched from tobacco growing to orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and Irish potato farming, saying it is more profitable. The development follows the introduction of improved varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes in the country by International Potato Centre under the Kulima Project. In an interview, a former tobacco farmer, […]
Cotton production in the country is down by 70 per cent, a situation which is worrying agriculture authorities. Gracian Lungu, spokesperson for the ministry of Agriculture, has said the country will record a 70 percent decrease in cotton production. According to Lungu, a lot of cotton farmers did not plant the crop this season as […]
The Malawi Agriculture Policy Advancement and Transformation Agenda (MwAPATA Institute) has challenged that unless Malawi address challenges that affect agricultural production and productivity, the country will face teething hitches to transform its economy. MwAPATA Institute acting executive director William Chadza made the sentiments at the Capital Hotel in Lilongwe when the institute engaged members of Parliament (MPs) who […]
Despite a lot of farmers growing improved potato varieties in Mulanje, there is an outcry of poor markets. A recent media tour to Chinakanaka Trading Centre showed vehicles with bags full of sweet potatoes ready to be sold to the people in the informal market. Most potato farmers have now adopted improved orange fleshed varieties […]