Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale says Malawi value longstanding cooperation and close partnership with the Government of the Republic of India as evidenced by various support in the agricultural sector.
The minister said this at the 19th CII India Africa Business Conclave, which was held on August 21, 2024 in India.
“Malawi acknowledges, with gratitude, the support the Indian Government provides in its efforts to transform the agricultural sector,” the minister said.
Kawale said the agricultural sector is crucial to the Government of Malawi’s development agenda under Malawi 2063, which seeks to transform a low-productivity, subsistence farming to a highly productive, commercialised agriculture system with manufacturing linkages.
Since 2008, the Government of India extended a line of credit worth US$ 180 million to the Malawi Government for infrastructural development projects in the agricultural sector, such as cotton ginneries, sugar processing plants, Green Belt Initiative and agricultural machinery, among others.
Indian Government also provided financial assistance that included disaster relief in the form of 1,000 metric tons of rice in response to crop failures, according to Kawale.
The Agriculture minister said the meeting has great benefits as it will enable Malawi to explore potential pathways and actionable strategies for agri-food systems transformation and jointly identify challenges and opportunities within the current bilateral landscape.
“In line with the priorities set out, the Republic of Malawi seeks to continue its partnership with the Indian Government, and its private sector through financial and technical support in many areas,” he added.
Kawale cited the development of agricultural schemes as stipulated in the irrigation Master Plan and investment framework and support for the digitalisation of research data for improved data management as some of the technical support that Malawi seeks to continue in the Malawi -India partnership.
He said Malawi is also looking forward to increasing the adoption of conservation agriculture and promoting sustainable agricultural mechanisation and farm machinery for smallholder and commercial farmers apart from developing disease vaccine production and vaccination services for small-scale farmers.
The minister further added that Malawi anticipates (through the partnership) an improvement and establishment of artificial insemination centres and services across the country.
He said the Malawi -India partnership also seeks support in the implementation of mega-farms as a strategy for commercialising agriculture and increasing production and productivity by providing farm machinery, accessories and irrigation equipment and facilitating market linkages.
