* The U.S. government remains committed to partnering with the government and people of Malawi
* To attract transparent and responsible investment and increase jobs, income and exports
By Paul Madise, MANA
During a groundnut farming fair at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) on Thursday, United States Embassy to Malawi’s Chargé d’Affaires, Amy Diaz, commended Malawi Government for its commitment to support private sector businesses such as Pyxus Agriculture Malawi, to invest and expand into value chains like groundnuts that have significant market growth potential.
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She, therefore, urged the government o accelerate reforms that diversify the economy and spur responsible private investment, saying: “The U.S. government remains committed to partnering with the government and people of Malawi to attract transparent and responsible investment and increase jobs, income and exports.
“As an enduring partner, we will continue to support innovative approaches that harness the combined resources of public, private and community actors to improve livelihoods, strengthen resilience, and accelerate Malawi’s development aspirations,” she said.
On her part, Irish Ambassador to Malawi, Seamus O`Gradys reiterated Malawi’s groundnut industry potential in achieving one million metric tonnes of groundnut annually by 2030.
At the groundnut fair at BICC
The groundnut fair served as a cornerstone of Malawi’s sustainable agricultural development and innovation strategy to achieve one million metric tons of groundnuts annually by 2030.
And in his remarks, Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale reiterated his Ministry’s continued collaboration with the private sector to ensure Malawi boosts its chances of supplying consistent and reliable high-quality groundnuts globally.
Kawale called for more financial support into mega farms which ensures Malawian farmers are accessing farming equipment and other farming technologies.
The groundnut fair, dubbed ‘Groundnut Tour in Malawi’, preceded another where Chitedze Agriculture Research Station announced that it was working collaboratively with other stakeholders to come up with new hybrid groundnut varieties to ensure groundnut industry is sustained.
Director of Research Services in the Ministry of Agriculture at Chitedze Agriculture Research Station, Dr Grace Kaudzu said the ‘Groundnut Tour in Malawi’ is being conducted to showcase the potential the country has in the groundnut industry, to carter for national, regional and international markets.
She expressed optimism that the research will benefit mega and small-scale groundnut farmers across the country through climate change-resilient varieties being produced through the research.
The Director said there is need for more interventions at Chitedze Research Station to enable the generation of more varieties of climate resilient groundnuts and hybrid groundnut seed multiplication.
The groundnut tour attracted over 150 investors, researchers, farmers and policy makers from 10 countries across the world — and adding credence, lead farmers from Horizon Farm, Chikondi Joseph and Franks Jictor urged Malawians to embrace groundnut farming for business inorder to compliment tobacco as a cash crop.
The farmers further commended the introduction of the new groundnut varieties, saying they have resulted into high yields.—Editing by Maravi Express
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