By Burnett Munthali……..
According to ReliefWeb report, Between October 2022 and March 2023, the situation was expected to deteriorate, with 3.8 million people in Malawi (20% of the population) expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3), an increase by 7% compared to the period in Aug 2022.
The Mega Farm concept aims at establishment of large scale production units at one place with having all necessary supporting resources i.e. human, capital, equipment and infrastructure from land preparation to marketing.
Mega farms can help to ensure that smallholder farmers have got access to markets because if they are anchor farms, then it means that the smallholder farmers can find a market to sell their produce at these farms,” he explained.
In addition, the objectives of mega-farms include promoting irrigation, providing investors with access to unutilized or underutilized estate land and strengthening agricultural financing, and increasing agricultural exports (Government of Malawi, Ministry of Agriculture.
Malawi had had no mega farms in the past. Chakwera says 800 medium, large-scale farmers have registered in mega.
We really need mega farms in Malawi. In his address, President Chakwera said induction of the Private Sector Mega Farms Programme will significantly contribute to the country’s economic growth by 2063. Chakwera also emphasized the necessity of supporting subsistence farmers in transitioning to agricultural mechanization to enhance crop productivity.
What are the best cash crops in Malawi? The best cash crops are soya beans and groundnuts. They do well in many weather conditions in our country. They also have readily available markets for both small-scale and big-scale farmers.
The main food crops are maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, sorghum, bananas, rice, and Irish potatoes and cattle, sheep and goats are raised. The main industries deal with agricultural processing of tobacco, tea and sugar and timber products.
According to The Nation newspaper, Malawi has moved to sink 63 000 hectares (ha) under irrigation and unveiled plans to mechanise farming through One-Stop Private Sector Mega Farms initiative that will see 844 medium and large-scale farmers being supported in commercial farming.
Under the scheme, the farmers are expected to grow crops for selected priority value chains to boost agriculture output in the country.
Launching the initiative in Kanengo, Lilongwe on 31 August 2023, President Lazarus Chakwera said the approach is a positive course that puts the nation on the path to national prosperity in collaboration with the private sector.
He described the initiative as a game-changer for the country’s economy as most of the country’s foreign exchange revenue comes from agricultural commodities.”
Conclusion
Mega Farms are regarded as a game changer to the country’s economic fortunes which is Agro-based as they meant for profit and capital intensive in terms of farm equipment such as tractors, irrigation investment and warehousing.