By Chisomo Phiri
The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) on Wednesday launched a K6.3 billion project aimed at improving the soya bean and groundnut value chains in the country.
The four-year project, known as the Malawi Agricultural Cluster Initiative (MACI), is funded by the Norwegian government and will be piloted in Lilongwe and Kasungu before being scaled up to other districts.
In an interview with journalists,AGRA Country Director Eluphy Banda Nyirenda highlighted the need for the project, citing low production and market challenges faced by farmers.
“Our goal is to increase productivity from below 0.8 metric tonnes per hectare to 2 metric tonnes per hectare, similar to countries like Egypt and Tanzania,” she said.
Nyirenda explained that the project will promote coordination among stakeholders to address challenges in the value chains, including access to quality seeds, agronomic practices, post-harvest losses, and structured markets.
She emphasized the potential of the two crops to boost the country’s foreign exchange reserves if yields are increased.
On his part,Ministry of Agriculture Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Services Kenneth Chaula welcomed the project and pledged government support for its effective implementation.
“Farmers need to benefit from these value chains, and we will ensure that the necessary support is provided,”said Chaula.
The project is expected to have a significant impact on the livelihoods of farmers and the agricultural sector as a whole.
