By Chisomo Phiri


A recent study conducted by the country’s agricultural research think tank,MwAPATA Institute, in collaboration with the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM), has revealed that youth engagement in agriculture over the past two decades has declined from 83% in 2010 to 76% in 2020.

Furthermore, the study found that youth access to credit and subsidy programs has also declined, with access to extension services and credit remaining at 32%, while the number of youths benefiting from the Affordable Input Programme has decreased to 28% in 2020 from 54% in 2010.

The study outlines several key recommendations to improve the situation, including the establishment of a special agricultural funding facility for youth, promotion of agricultural diversification, and inclusive commercialization among youth.

Speaking at the dissemination of the findings in Lilongwe on Monday, MwAPATA Institute Executive Director William Chadza said they are engaging various stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the study’s recommendations.

“We are very concerned with the trend and something must be done to end the problem,” he said.

In his remarks,NYCOM Executive Director Rex Chapota said the findings are crucial, as they will help provide a foundation for their programs.

MwAPATA is an independent agricultural policy think tank in Malawi that addresses gaps in agricultural policy development in Malawi by supporting the government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders in their common goal of increasing opportunity for a more diversified agricultural sector.

By Dean Chisambo

Food  Agriculture Natural Resources Pan African Network (FANRPAN) in collaboration with Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) are expecting to hold regional agriculture policy dialogue after 16 years break,  which will commence on 6th to 9th August 2024 in Lilongwe.

Speaking during the media briefing on Friday in Lilongwe FANRPAN director of business development Francis Hale said they acknowledge the success that they learnt from Malawi through the outstanding leadership of late Bingu Wa Muntharika’s agriculture subsidy Programme known as Fertilizer Subsidy Programme (FISP)which transform Malawi’s agriculture.

Hale mentioned that Malawi is been a place of learning and they are still  learning  some of the policies that have been crafted which are on the books expected to be implemented.

He said: ” the results of those policies may not yet be on the ground and there are a lot of learning interms of setting policy framework, because as a dvocancy network we do believe that policy is formed on the basis from the foundation for institution inorder to bring change.

” So we have observed some of the policies and those are lessons that we are picking out from Malawi and taken them to  other countries.”

Hale disclosed that the whole region are experiencing challenges because they are in the middle of El-Nino especially in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe which resulted   food and nutritional security saying it doesn’t mean that policies that are being implemented are positive.

He lamented that Malawi’s policies need to be uploaded, picked  and taken across the region as it was in 2008 where FISP were picked by Zambia followed by Zimbabwe which they were able to impact the livelihoods of their smallholder farmers after learning it  from Malawi.


In his remarks principal secretary responsible for Irrigation in the ministry of Agriculture Geoffrey Mamba said the conference will give opportunity to the stakeholders more especially those are working in civil societies to look at the policies   which the government is coming up with hence the country have several policies.

He said:” we have the agriculture, irrigation, land resources and fisheries policy. So in this context the gathering will look at how those policies have been formulated, implemented and the challenges that are also affect the same, and in that way they will come up with the recommendations which will improve the policy on it’s part of formulation, implementation as well as when it comes to the evaluation of impact on the same policies.”


Mamba further described that their ministry is implementing the number of programmes to make sure that the country have food security such as: Affordable Input Programme (AIP), translating promoting substance farming to commercial farming and promotion of commercial farming into mega farm unit saying it is need for a mindset  change among farmers  on  agricultural productivity and commercialization in line with Malawi 2063 agenda.

He later said  that for the country to produce high yields like five tonne per hector  government has put some initiatives interms of policy like promotion of both organic and inorganic fertilizer, the issue of liming the soil to reduce the acidity hence the records shows that 40 percent of malawi soil is sick because it have high Power Hydrogen (PH).

Mamba added that they are also promoting diversification of the agricultural produce saying they do not want the soil to depend on maize only as a staple food inorder have totality of agriculture produce.

On his part National Planning Commission (NPC) Director for policy and communication Dr Andrew Jamali said the dialogue in   regards to production and food system transformation is quite pivotal engagement in line with Malawi 2063 agenda.

He said Malawi is really implementing set of programmes under pillar one of the vision which is agriculture productivity and commercialization which need to push through  the food system and food season transformation space.

FANRPAN  is an African  body which advocate agricultural policy transformation and the policy dialogue  conference is expected to  be  presiding  over  by the Minister of Agriculture Hon. Samuel Kawale and it  will bring together international participants, regional bodies and local delegates especially the civil societies organisations and they had similar event in 2008 .