By Chisomo Phiri
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged support towards Malawi’s agricultural commercialisation agenda, with a focus on strengthening the banana, rice, and soya bean value chains.
UNDP Deputy Country Representative, Chika Charles Aniekwe, made the remarks in Lilongwe on Thursday during a roundtable discussion on the three crops under the Ulimi ndi Chilengedwe (UCHI) project.
Aniekwe said the three value chains have strong potential to drive Malawi’s agricultural transformation, noting that improved productivity, expanded agribusiness opportunities, and higher incomes for smallholder farmers could be achieved through targeted investment and coordination.
He, however, stressed the need for stronger partnerships and coordinated action among government institutions, the private sector, financial service providers, development partners, and research institutions to address systemic challenges affecting agricultural value chains.
On his part, Secretary for the Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism, Wiskes Mkombezi, said the government already has policies and strategies in place aimed at transforming the selected value chains under the UCHI project.
He highlighted the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives involved in various value chains, including banana, rice, and soya bean production and processing.
Speaking on the same, Mwapata Institute Executive Director William Chadza, whose organisation conducted an in-depth analysis of the three value chains, noted that Malawi is currently not producing enough to meet both domestic and export demand.
He cited challenges such as limited access to clean planting materials, including seeds and suckers, as well as poor farming practices, as key factors contributing to low production of the three crops, which he described as highly in demand.
The roundtable discussion was held under the theme ‘Turning potential into commercial outcomes: strengthening implementation for inclusive commercialisation.’
