President Lazarus Chakwera has said that the government of Egypt has shown interest and commitment in supporting Malawi in agricultural production and markets for products.
Chakwera said this during the launch of the second phase of the Agricultural Commercialization Project (AGCOM2) initiative at Chinthembwe Primary School ground in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Inkosi Vuso Jere in Ntchisi District.
“Egypt through its president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has shown interest and commitment to helping the government of Malawi in various areas of farming production and markets,” said Chakwera.
He added that the AGCOM2 project will create jobs, promote innovation and help eradicate hunger and improve exportation of local agricultural products.
The Malawi leader also commended the World Bank and other developmental partners for rendering their support in assisting the country in various developmental initiatives.
He disclosed that the World Bank has also committed $30 million to help Malawi procure maize to assist those expected to face hunger in the country.
In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale said the AGCOM2 will improve agriculture commercialization and a lot of farmers will benefit from the initiative.
The $264 million initiative is set to transform smallholder agriculture from subsistence to commercial in the country.
Speaking during the launch, World Bank Country Manager, Hugh Riddell, commended the Chakwera-led administration for championing commercial agriculture in the country and appealed to the government to establish key developmental policies in areas of digital farming and land registry to facilitate the success of AGCOM2.
