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by Levi Zeleza Manda, PhD, managing editor and communication consultant for the Journal of Development and Communication Studies
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10. Funwe Farm Limited 11. Mahindra 12. Malawi Mangoes 13. Monsanto 14. Nasfam 15. NRC 16. Pannar Seed 17. Peacock Seeds 18. Promat 19. Safintra 20. Toppers 21. Universal Industries 22. World Vision
ntil about 1994, agriculture was the bedrock of Malawis economic progress, job security and political stability. Despite positive developments in the mining sector, official statistics still indicate that agriculture contributes about 40 percent to Malawis gross domestic product (GDP), is a source of 83 percent of foreign exchange and is responsible for over 30 percent of economic growth. Over 90 percent of the countrys rural population feeds itself from its smallholdings. For the majority of Malawian families, farmland has been passed down through hereditary structures for generations. As the number of families grows, the customary farmland is re-parceled over and over such that as at present, it is estimated that most farming households in rural areas cultivate less than 0.5 hectares using crude Before Christ (BC) implements. Malawis farmland is tired and virtually unproductive. To ensure productivity, Malawis agricultural land needs a lot of chemical and organic fertilisation and other appropriate husbandry practices. This is why the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) has been so expensive. Despite having Fisp, most smallholder farmers harvest barely enough to feed themselves. Understandably, Fisp has been unable to help farmers to engage in agriculture as a business. Logically, a farming family must feed itself before it can sell any of its farm produce and products. But this does not mean that it is impossible for local farmers to engage in farming as business or that agriculture cannot drive an economy. It can be done and it has been recognised by the World Bank and others as a major source of economic growth in Africa and Asia and other developing areas. There are many ways this can be achieved without necessarily looking for more land. Let us just look at three ways.
Mechanising the agriculture sector is the way to go if Malawi is to improve its economic fortunes
The first and obvious one is mechanisation of agriculture. It is surprising that while development policy documents acknowledge that agriculture is the main driver of the countrys economy, little, if anything has been invested in high agricultural production. Attempts have been made to procure farm tractors to ease the tilling of land and wean farmers from the tediousness of hoeing. Media reports indicate that in 2011, India loaned Malawi 177 tractors and 144 maize shellers worth $55 million and $ 40 million for a sugar processing plant under the Greenbelt Initiative. Since then, no further news has been heard about theses national assets. But this is the kind of investment Malawi needs. Farming as business can only work where agriculture is mechanised and commercialised. This does not mean that smallholder farmers will be forsaken and ignored. Already, the sugarcane industry is experimenting with the commercialisation of smallholder sugar producers at Dwangwa, Nchalo and Limphasa. The smallholder sugar producers are supported with machinery, inputs and quality control mechanisms to ensure the cane produced is of good quality. Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Limited buys the sugar cane from the smallholder farmers. This model needs to be scaled up to cover tobacco, cotton, soya, groundnut, sunflower, rubber and other cash crops. The much touted government and private sector agreements should result in the private sector buying processing equipment to ensure that the country exports processed products. Obviously, there is need for training in quality control along each agricultural product value chain from the farm to the processing plant, through the market to the table. Kenya is known more for its tourism sites than its agriculture, but that countrys trade in fresh vegetables and flowers earns it an estimated $ 3 million per day. While the flowers and vegetables are handled, processed and transported by large corporations with links to foreign markets, the PAGE 3
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Government has put aside K60.1 billion for Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) targeting 1.5 million farmers Agriculture provides employment to 80 percent of Malawis workforce and rakes in 83 percent of its forex
FACTS
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special essay
Every year, Malawian farmers lose several tonnes of fruits due to lack of relevant technologies to preserve them
countries although Egypt has only the Nile River as a source of fresh water for its 85.5 million inhabitants. Thus now that bio-safety mechanisms, policies and laws are in place, Malawi must start to responsibly use biotechnology to improve its crop and animal production so that the surplus is sold on international markets. In short, Malawis Ulimi ndi Chuma or farming is wealth should graduate from low to high production; from low quality to high quality; from local and village markets to international markets; and from individual farmers selling their raw products along the high street stalls and open weekly markets to farmers selling their crops and animals in groups to government approved organisations that will process and add value before sending the same to international markets. The role of the government is to come up with a coherent, reasonable, and progressive agribusiness policy. That should have been done yesterday, but it is better to do so today rather tomorrow.
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FEATURES
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advertorial
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Mike Chipalasa Correspondent
A total population of 12 million sheep and goats in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia and 50 million in Southern African Development Community (Sadc) countries are at great risk of Peste des Petit Ruminants (PPR), a disease that attacks small ruminants. FAO is currently partnering the three countries to prevent further spread of the disease through the regional Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) of the sub-regional office for southern Africa in Harare. Speaking during the opening ceremony of the regional inception workshop meeting that took place from July 29 to 31 2013 in Mangochi, Malawi, on Capacity Building to Prevent PPR Introduction into Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Dr. James Munthali commended FAO for initiating and supporting the project to prevent the spread of the disease in the three countries. The minister expressed optimism for Malawi and other countries to control and eventually eradicate PPR with the help of development partners such as FAO. The Government of Malawi will also continue to work with
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advertorial/features
armers Union of Malawi (FUM) president Alfred Kapichira Banda is a farmer through and through. As a young man, he turned down a white-collar job for farming. Today, he runs a farm at Madisi in Dowa. He was born in 1954 in Kasungu. His father, Robert Kapichira Banda was a prominent farmer and politician during the one party era. The young Banda attended Livimbo Primary School where in 1973, he was selected to Likuni Boys Secondary School. He said his inspiration came from his father who used to tell him that there was wealth in the soil. Kamuzu used to tell all his ministers that wealth was in the soil and that they should
concentrate on farming. That is exactly what my father taught me. I have been a lead farmer in my area and I want to use my experience to help other farmers to reach the level I am, says Banda. He says he started farming when he was in Standard Seven and by the time he completed his secondary education, he had mastered the art and was ready to take over from his father who by then had ventured into full time politics. His father was a Cabinet minister during the Kamuzu era and, at one point, he served as regional chairperson for the Centre. My father wanted to send me abroad to study medicine so that I become a doctor, but something kept telling me that I can still do better if I concentrate on farming. I continued to run my fathers
two farmsone at Mtiti and another one at Nkhonde when he was busy with politics, says Banda, who is now based at Nkhonde Farm. On the two farms, Banda grows maize, soya, groundnuts and beans for seed. Recently, he signed a contract with JTI to grow tobacco. He says through farming, he has built several houses; bought four vehicles and plans to expand his farms to grow more crops. My father died in 1989, but by the time he was leaving this world the houses that he left were fetching K2 500 in rentals. Today, they fetch K120 000 each in rentals. In 1989, we had five houses, but now weve got nine houses all of them built with proceeds from farming, says Banda. PAGE 26
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advertorial
girls, do not enjoy the basic right to education. The organisation is also cognizant of the poor quality of education that a few children receive. Through this strategy, WV Malawi is working with strategic partners to provide the changes that will enable the education system create literate graduates at age 11 in selected areas of the country. Building on the foundation that has been laid by the 2010-2012 strategy, WV Malawi is facilitating a new focus on age appropriate literacy, learning and life skills for children, especially girls, orphans, children from extreme poverty and those with disability. The work in nutrition and education will be underpinned by a robust advocacy programme designed to ensure that children in Malawi grow in a safe and friendly environment and realise their full God-given potential.
Kapichira Banda
and easy dissemination of information among them, he said. However, Banda indicated that farmers with more than one area of interest will be advised to join all the groups that appeal to their business
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editorial
Peacock Seeds is a seed business unit that has emerged through evolution from a poultry farm that started in 1997 at Kamphatenga in Salima to a dairy breeding and now in certified seed production, processing, marketing and distribution of Malawi Government Certified seed under Peacock Enterprises. It is a story of success talked about by one resilient Malawian who struggled for over 16 years with pride of a peacock and determination in belief that Malawi is not poor but we need to create a platform for wealth creation. Use of certified seed is key to creating wealth from the soil, water; good climate and our labour force for a food, income and export secure Malawi. The question is why use certified seeds? According to Peacock Seeds, there is a difference between a seed and a grain. What makes the difference is the process of special selection of planting materials. When grown in a controlled environment it will always produce or show desired attributes of the crop variety. The process that makes sure that happens is called certification. Certification is very
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features
Limited business development manager Ronald Chilumpha stated that insect pests are the major cause of storage losses in the country. In most cases, infestation begins in the field as the crop matures or dries. The insects are then brought over into the store with the produce. A loss assessment study conducted in Malawi during 2000/2001 season by Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security showed that weight losses in stored grain after the advent of Larger Grain Borer (LGB) in the country had increased to 16 percent from five percent in 1994, said Chilumpha, adding that the loss is currently at 17.5 percent according to a survey conducted in 2011 Post harvest losses could be managed though. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach is the best way of minimising PHL, according to Chilumpha.
He says IPM is an approach where the best mix of practices, from cultural, biological, regulatory, breeding, chemical application are employed to deal with PHL. For instance, maize breeders must come up with varieties that are flint and whose cob sheaths close at the tip. This will reduce susceptibility of the maize grain to LGB attack. Secondly, farmers should desist from storing unshelled maize. Maize should be shelled and dried to the recommended moisture content before treating it with pesticides, says Chilumpha. He goes further to say high moisture content in the grain results in deterioration of the pesticides and consequently, a shorter period of grain protection. Chilumpha advises that storage hygiene is also an
important factor to ensure that there is no carry over infestation in the storage facility. Storage facilities including bags should be treated accordingly before storage of the harvested grain. Regulation of the pesticides trade also plays a role in ensuring that farmers access products that comply with the standards, he says. He also notes the importance of farmers buying pesticides from authorised dealers only and applying the products at correct dosage. From the surveys that have been conducted in past, it is clear that PHL worsened after the advent of the LGB. But Chilumpha believes that as a result of concerted efforts from government and other stakeholders, PHL have stabilised. The subsidised grain storage
pesticides that government provides to smallholder farmers is one of strategies that are helping to minimise PHL, hence food insecurity at household level. Of course, there is room for improvement in reduction of PHL if adoption and proper use of proven advanced technologies was promoted and supported by stakeholders, says Chilumpha. Significant amounts of the food produced in developing countries are lost after harvest thereby aggravating hunger. Food losses contribute to high food prices by removing part of the supply from the market. They also have an impact on environmental degradation and climate change as land, water, human labour and nonrenewable resources such as fertiliser and energy are used to produce, process, handle and transport food that no one consumes.