Malawi's Agriculture Sector Struggles Despite Key Role in Economy
The average farmer in Malawi relies on subsistence farming and struggles to afford seeds and chemical fertilizers, resulting in low yields.
Malawi: The agriculture sector in Malawi is facing a number of challenges despite being crucial to the country's economy, writes Brenda Sanudi.
Climate change and poor farming practices, including excessive tree-cutting, have compounded these issues.
The average farmer in Malawi relies on subsistence farming and struggles to afford seeds and chemical fertilizers, resulting in low yields.
The government's multibillion-dollar tax-funded Affordable Input Program (AIP) was intended to assist farmers but has been unable to due to logistical issues.
Emily Bizwick, a farmer from Chununda village in Mchinji, said, "I cannot afford chemical fertilizer as it is expensive. As a result, I always have low yields every year because I cannot afford a bag of fertilizer or quality seeds for my farming activities."
Selevasi Kawele, another Mchinji farmer, received only one of the two bags of fertilizer he was entitled to through the AIP program.
"We indeed have climate change impeding us in our farming ventures. But as if that is not enough of an issue, AIP has given us false hope," he said.
Glitches in the AIP program have been reported throughout the country, leading the Ombudsman to call for an overhaul of the program's implementation.
The Ombudsman's report stated, "Accessibility of the commodity to beneficiaries has been hampered by a number of challenges, raising questions as to the success of this facility."
To help farmers increase productivity and reduce costs, a couple in Mchinji is promoting eco-friendly farming techniques through their Permaculture Paradise Institute (PPI).
Biswick Luwayo, the Managing Director of PPI, said, "We realized that these farmers have been facing a number of challenges, such as poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, so permaculture is coming in to address such challenges."
The PPI has trained over 1,000 farmers from Mchinji, Dowa, and Zomba districts and aims to reach 2,500 farmers through its program.
Alick Chombo, a farmer from Chisi Island in Zomba, has benefited from the program and said, "Before coming to permaculture we have been facing challenges because of high dependency on chemical fertilizers and our crops were being affected by pests and diseases."
Jennifer Mbalale, a lead farmer, added, "We have been facing the problem of inadequate rains, and due to this, we have been experiencing low yields, which have really affected our families in terms of food. Here at permaculture, we have learned how to make manure, liquid fertilizer, and restore soil fertility."
Representatives from the agriculture sector and NGOs are also part of the training program. Chimwemwe Limani, the Founding Director of Imagine Africa, said they are partnering with PPI to help Chisi Island in Zomba.
"We are expecting that when these fifty lead farmers go back to Zomba, they will identify nine fellow farmers and start practicing the technologies of permaculture at the household level as well as in their fields so that we end hunger, malnutrition, and poverty starting from Chisi Island to entire Zomba district," he explained.
Mphatso Chongo from World Renew's food security department said the training has equipped him with the knowledge he can share with farmers to reduce production costs and sustain the environment.
"The skills are important, and I see our farmers adopting the expertise we have gotten from this training," he said.
Chasalino00