Minister of Trade Simplex Chithyola Banda has asked people in the country to move from subsistence farming to commercial farming as a way of generating funds from farming produce.
Banda made the statement on Wednesday during 2023 Malawi Agricultural Productivity and Commercialisation Conference (MAPCC) which is happening at BICC in Lilongwe.
Speaking with reporters, Banda said through farming, the country can make a lot of foreign currency which at the end of the can boost the economy of the country.
He added that the farm produce showcased at the conference has shown that Malawi has potential in agriculture as well as trade as such it is important to utilize the opportunity here and now.
“The pavilions which I have visited today have given me courage and strength to come up with better ways of trading this farming produce. Farmers through cooperatives can come up with a lot crops that can be traded and can compete on the international market which can greatly bring positive impact to the country,” he said.
In his remarks, Board Chairperson for Mwapata Institute Professor Richard Mkandawire said that the conference is a call to action to the general public at large so that they can come up with better ways of addressing challenges that the country has been experiencing in the agriculture sector due to climate change.
He noted that the country is facing forex shortage and should make use of the readily available resources to boost the economy.
On his part, one of the participants from Sugarcane Growers Cooperative Chairperson Wilson Yohane commended government for giving an opportunity to cooperatives saying the initiative has put them on the map.
He added that as chairperson of the cooperative he will make sure that as a cooperative they will assist some of smallholder farmers to reach their destiny.
The conference which started yesterday, Wednesday is expected to end today.
