Malawi’s Minister of Agriculture, Sam Dalitso Kawale, has called on farmers to abandon old seed varieties in favour of newer, high-yielding ones developed through national research efforts. The minister announced government plans on a Facebook post.
Kawale argued that outdated seed use is a major contributor to poor harvests and low incomes among smallholder farmers. He highlighted the government’s investment in agricultural research, promising improved yields from beans, maize, and cassava, and announced plans to release a list of 54 agricultural innovations.
But while the post emphasized the Ministry’s forward-looking agenda a few month before elections, public reactions revealed deeper concerns about accessibility, affordability, and trust.
“Good initiative,” wrote Francis Botha in response, “however, the prices of these improved seeds are exorbitant. Seed companies are charging excessively, which prevents smallholder farmers from accessing these improved varieties and benefiting from them.” Botha urged the Ministry to collaborate with the Ministry of Trade to regulate seed pricing and ensure affordability for all farmers.
Fertiliser Promise Fades as Prices Soar Beyond Reach
Others questioned the priorities of the initiative altogether. “Minister,” wrote GOOD NEBY, “it appears that this initiative primarily serves your interests rather than those of the Malawian people. If the goal is to support Malawians in agriculture, providing affordable fertilizer would be a more effective approach.”
During his presidential campaign, President Lazarus Chakwera pledged to reduce fertiliser prices to just 4,000 Malawi kwacha for a 50-kilogram bag — a promise that gave many Malawians hope for affordable farming and food security. However, nearly five years into the Tonse administration, led by the Malawi Congress Party, that promise remains unfulfilled.
Instead, fertiliser prices have skyrocketed, with current market rates nearing 100,000 kwacha per bag — more than 2,000 percent above the amount Chakwera had committed to during the campaign. For many smallholder farmers, the result is not just disappointment, but deepening hardship, as rising input costs continue to erode their ability to grow food and earn a living.
Like Good Neby, the comments suggested that farmers are not resistant to innovation, but many believe they are being priced out of the very solutions meant to help them.
Empty Promises
The unfulfilled pledge has drawn increasing scrutiny from citizens, particularly in rural communities where fertiliser access can determine whether a family eats or goes hungry. While government officials have pointed to global price shifts and supply chain disruptions, farmers say those explanations do little to soften the blow of broken promises.
Kakato Master, commenting in Chichewa, pointed to ongoing struggles in places like Mchinji and Kasungu, where he said farmers have gone three years without meaningful returns — even when the rains have been good despite adopting some of the varieties championed by Kawale.
