* Over 50,000 metric tonnes of cotton is needed annually to meet local manufacturing and value addition demand
* While the demand on the export market is in excess of 200,000 metric tonnes—Minister Kawale
By Moses Nyirenda, MANA
Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, says on the domestic scene, over 50,000 metric tonnes of cotton is needed annually to meet local manufacturing and value addition demand while on the export market, it is in excess of 200,000 metric tonnes.
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Thus his Ministry is committed to supporting cotton farmers by, among other things, providing them with affordable inputs to improve cotton production in the country.
He said this Monday at Chinguluwe Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Salima during the opening of the 2023/2024 cotton marketing season at Mgoza Primary School where he emphasised that there in need for increased cotton production in the country to meet both local and international market demand.
“We need to produce large quantities to satisfy both domestic and export markets,” he said, while pledging that the government is working tirelessly to ensure that all cotton farmers have access to affordable and high quality seed to increase area and production in order to achieve some pillars in the MW2063 national vision.
He said cotton has the capacity to contribute to Pillar number 1 and 2 of the MW2063, which talks about agricultural productivity and commercialisation and industrialisation respectively.
On his part, Cotton Council of Malawi Executive Director, Cosmas Luwanda said they are keen to help farmers with proper cotton farming techniques for them to reap more benefits while also lobbying government to come up with structured cotton markets to attract more investors in the sector.
“Around 2011, we had 12 ginneries supporting farmers to produce cotton,” he said. “Over time, because of informalities such as; side buying and selling most ginneries closed shop. Currently, we are remaining with only four.
“Therefore, we would like to combine structures to aggregate cotton in the system to attract more investors because they will know that they have a platform to recover their money and has zero risks,” Luwanda said.
Cotton Association of Malawi’s Chief Executive Officer, Synoden Mbalafana commended government for its commitment to promoting cotton farming while hailing cotton adjustment farm gate price from K580 to K900 per kilogram. However, he appealed for more adjustments to encourage farmers to start producing more cotton.
In a related development, deputy CEO of Horizon Ventures (HORVES) Limited, Ruth Msungambeu has urged young people to embark on their entrepreneurial journey in agri-business, stressing their pivotal role in shaping the future of Malawi.
At the Agri-business Ceremony held at Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources (LUANAR) Natural Resources College (NRC) campus on Saturday, Msungambeu reiterated that there is a need for young people to learn about modern farming techniques, business management, and marketing for them to contribute to Malawi’s economic growth and food security in the long run.
Held under the themed; ‘Harnessing Agri-business for Malawi resilience in the face of climate change towards MW2063 vision, Msungambeu was answering a question about the future of Malawi in a context of agri-business.
She said the answer lies in the rich soil, the vibrant culture and entrepreneurial spirit, saying Malawi is an agricultural powerhouse endowed with fertile land, abundant water and a favourable climate.
She emphasised that there’s more to agriculture than just growing crops, highlighting the importance of establishing value chains, building industries and driving economic growth.
Msungambeu also shared more insights on the imperative of sustainability and market-driven innovations in agri-business and with a focus on practices like vertical farming, hydroponics and organic farming, she underscored the importance of resource efficiency and environmental stewardship.
A student at LUANAR, Aubrey Lumwila expressed his appreciation to Msungambeu for the role she played at the ceremony in providing students with essential knowledge about agri-business.
Lumwila, who is majoring agri-business programme at the university, has since encouraged other students that it is possible to manage both school and business at the same time.—Reporting from LUANAR by Ousman Manda, MANA
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