MALAWI’S President Lazarus Chakwera has officially launched an ambitious initiative called ‘mega farms,’ with the primary objective of combatting the nation’s persistent food shortages and revitalising its agricultural sector.
Despite various efforts to bolster agricultural production, including programmes such as the Targeted Inputs Programme that provided farmers with cost-effective access to seeds and fertilisers, Malawi has grappled with food shortages both at the national and domestic levels for years. A recent report from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network revealed that approximately 4.4 million Malawians, constituting 22 percent of the population, are currently facing food shortages, and the situation is expected to worsen between October 2023 and March 2024.
Speaking during the televised launch of a mega farm in northern Malawi over the weekend, President Lazarus Chakwera emphasised that the ‘mega farms’ programme aimed to achieve two vital goals: bolstering the nation’s foreign exchange reserves and making Malawi self-sufficient in food production.
President Chakwera stated, ‘This approach is also a game changer for our economy as a whole because most of our forex revenue comes from farming. But given the forex challenges we have faced in the recent past as a consequence of debt left behind by past administrations, it is clear that our long-term solution has to involve boosting and intensifying agriculture productivity for exports.’
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Simplex Chithyola Banda, revealed that the ministry had already secured markets for produce from the mega farms. He further disclosed that in June of this year, the Malawi government had reached an agreement with a foreign bank to construct industrial parks in both the capital, Lilongwe, and the commercial capital, Blantyre, with a focus on agro-processing and value addition. This development ensures that the mega farms already have established markets, heralding economic growth in the country.
Jacob Nyirongo, the Executive Director of the Farmers Union of Malawi, expressed hope that the mega farm programme would help alleviate challenges faced by small-scale farmers, particularly with regard to market access. Nyirongo emphasised, ‘Mega farms can become anchor farms and integrate small-scale farmers into the business model. Through this integration, small-scale farmers can access advisory services, credit, and most importantly, markets.’
William Chanza, Executive Director of the Malawi Agricultural Policy Advancement and Transformation Agenda (MwAPATA), an independent agricultural policy think tank, called for increased private sector involvement to ensure the sustainability of the mega farm model. Chanza stressed, ‘We must address some of the policy barriers to private sector engagement in agriculture, especially those related to markets and exports. This will enable them to invest and produce commodities for the export market.’
President Chakwera announced that to date, 800 medium- and large-scale farmers have registered to cultivate various crops across more than 63,000 hectares of land for this year’s growing season. The ‘mega farms’ initiative is poised to bring significant changes to Malawi’s agricultural landscape, offering hope for a more food-secure and economically prosperous future.