Norway, IFAD commit to funding Malawi agriculture

Chakwera with Anne Tvinnriem and Gilbert Houngbo

By Wisdom Ngwira, MANA

The Government of Norway and International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) have committed to pumping in more resources to Malawi to develop its agricultural activities.

Norway’s Minister of International Development, Anne Tvinnriem and IFAD president, Gilbert Houngbo, made the commitment during their meeting with President Lazarus Chakwera and Ministry of Agriculture officials at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Monday.

After the meeting, Tvinnriem said her country highly prioritises agriculture and climate adaptation, hence will continue to fund the sectors in Malawi.

“The Government of Norway has said in international development portfolio, the support to food security and climate adaptation in agriculture is highly prioritized and for a country like Malawi, that is very essential.

 

“The agriculture sector is the backbone of Malawi’s economy and the country has abundant rich natural resources: nice climate for agriculture production and water.

“With the necessary transformation of the agricultural sector, it gives potential for the development of Malawi,” she said, adding that as a long-term bilateral history, Malawi stands to benefit in agriculture through various international bodies like IFAD and the World Bank which Norway funds.

“As a development partner, we need to first listen to Malawian authorities on the priorities they have. Apart from that, we need to put in place some things that will enhance productivity in the sector.

Tvinniriem said her country would be channeling funds towards scaling up technology and help in connecting Malawian small-scale farmers to value chains so that they get the necessary technologies needed in irrigation and diversification.

In his remarks, IFAD president, Houngbo said with proper support to the country, agriculture could be a key to improving the welfare of many Malawians, hence his organisation’s continued support.

“We want to use agriculture in the country as a basis for GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth for the creation of worth, particularly for smallholder farmers.

“We are happy as IFAD to see the direction Malawi has taken in the agriculture sector with some very nice steps that we feel, with our funding, will pull the country’s population out of poverty,” he said.

Malawi’s Minister of Agriculture, Robin Lowe expressed pleasure that they have successfully managed to win Norway and IFAD’s confidence.

“We tried to ask them that we have all relevant resources for agriculture like lakes, rivers, residual moisture and soil, but whenever we have drought, we cry.

“As government, we then asked the two development partners to consider aiding us with some proposed agricultural projects.

“We are happy to report that for example, IFAD alone is pumping in resources for about four huge on-going programmes under Sustainable Agricultural Production Programme.

They are also supporting the Programme for Rural Irrigation Development; Transforming Agriculture through Diversification; Entrepreneurship Programme and Financial access for Rural Markets, and Smallholder and Enterprise Programme,” explained Lowe.

The two were in the country from February 27 in the wake of storms to discuss climate resilience and hunger, taking cognizance that Malawian farmers are still reeling from Tropical Cyclone Ana and other storms that followed that devastated crops and livelihoods in recent weeks.

The meeting with Chakwera and Lowe — as well as that with small-scale farmers — discussed the impacts of climate change, and ways to build resilience, since “extreme weather events have increased globally and have recently wreaked destruction in Malawi — and it is the small-scale farmers who are feeling the brunt of it”.

Their visit was for some urgent calls “to step up investments in adaptation and resilience to ensure that climate change does not deepen hunger and poverty”.