Malawi has placed “food security” as primary objective of the country and Government policy. As a large proportion of the population depends on agriculture, improving productivity and increasing output from the sector have become key issues of policy for the Government. Furthermore, a large segment of the population still depends on “subsistence agriculture” and many families survive on less than a “dollar per day”. The Malawi Government is committed to raising rural incomes and welfare through sustainable agricultural production. The focus of Government in this respect is two fold.
As indicated, a range of agricultural products can be grown in this area, including maize, cassava, rice, cotton, bananas, mangoes, pineapples, paw paws, cashew nuts, beans, peas, sorghum etc. Karonga Central Constituency, with proper planning and coordination could emerge as a major food producer for the whole of Malawi. The most important element for success is the involvement of the people of the area in defining programmes and projects.
Irrigation of this area carries even greater scope for expanding agricultural production and improving productivity. The numerous rivers, which flow from the mountain ranges into Lake Malawi hold much hope not only for irrigating agricultural lands in this area, but also for production and delivery of low-cost electricity as well as drinking water, through the creation of dams up stream. Furthermore, such dams could also serve as centres for expansion of fish farming in the area. Rivers like Lemero, Kasimba, Bwaye, and Lwasyo River can all be harnessed to help provide irrigation and electricity as well as clean drinking water.
Irrigation will not be a panacea in the development of Malawi’s agriculture, but it can contribute to reducing the country’s heavy dependency on “rain-fed agriculture”and help in improving productivity of the sector. Irrigation is therefore seen as a key component to the development of most crops in Malawi. Irrigation will probably be viable for high value export crops or for horticultural development. There are many crops in Malawi that could benefit from irrigation. The Government’s broad objectives for irrigation development include the following:
- To create an enabling environment for irrigated agriculture by facilitating and encouraging the private sector to invest in irrigation, through appropriate investment incentives;
- To optimize Government investment in irrigation development by applying the principles of cost recovery and sharing with targeted beneficiary sub-sector;
- To enhance human capacity to facilitate effective research in irrigation technology and marketing of irrigated produce;
- To improved access to finance for small-scale irrigation equipment, such as treadle pumps and use private sector distribution to make them available.
Karonga Central Constituency will endeavour to capitalize on Government strategies in the cotton sector by establishing the necessary institutional mechanisms and infrastructures needed to revive the cotton sector in this area. This will include, creation of growers and ginners associations in various parts of the constituency; identification of necessary financial and technical support that can be provided to both growers and ginners of cotton in the area; work with the Malawi Government to identify prospective markets for cotton products produced in the area; work with Government on extension and other services needed by cotton growers and ginners in the constituency.
Success in reviving the cotton sector in the area could have profound impact not only in raising rural incomes in the area, but also on overall poverty reduction in Malawi. Furthermore, success will also require a coherent and sustained public-private sector partnership as well as involvement of all key stakeholders at all stages of the development and implementation of the programme. Ownership of the process by key stakeholders will be fundamental to success. A top down approach will not succeed.
Much of Karonga Central Constituency can grow cotton and has done so in the past, whether it is Mlare, Chiwondo, Lupembe, Lughali or Lwasyo. The Malawi Government has placed revival of the cotton sector in Malawi as one of its priorities in the agriculture and agro-industry strategies. The long-term goal of the Malawi Government is to develop a vibrant cotton growing and processing industry. The Government intends to encourage the integration of production, processing and marketing of cotton products. Currently, the linkages between the cotton sub-sector (production of lint cotton) and textile and garment production (manufacturing) is rather weak in Malawi. The Government’s aim is to increase production of garments made from locally produced and woven cotton as opposed to imported synthetic fabrics. This will require development of a local textile industry to increase the flow of cotton from growers and ginners, thereby having a positive impact on the cotton sector and increased exports of textile products from Malawi.
