Chakwera Set For Mega Farm Programs Launch

His Excellency the President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has arrived at Kanengo where he is expected to officially launch the Mega Farms Program.

The program is one of the flagship campaign promises by the Chakwera-led government which is designed to transform the country’s agriculture sector by boosting productivity and exports for medium and large-scale farmers.

The launch of the program today marks a dawn of a new era in Malawi as the program in itself augurs well with Malawi’s Vision 2063 which outlines a path to self-reliance and prosperity by leveraging agriculture, industrialisation, and urbanisation.

According to Mega Farms Coordinator Alfred Mwenifumbo, currently 63,000 hectares of land has already been secured for growing different value chains during this farming season.

In his State of the Address (SONA) at the opening of the Meeting of the 50th Session of Parliament and the 2023/2024 Budget Meeting at Parliament Building in Lilongwe earlier in February, President Chakwera disclosed that his administration has successfully embarked on megafarms aimed at establishing large production units for increased agricultural production.

By then, Chakwera said government they has already established two megafarms at Chipoka in Salima and at Nkopola, in Mangochi with 200 hectares of maize currently under cultivation in Mangochi and 80 hectares of cotton under cultivation and production in Chipoka.

Agriculture think-tanks have repeatedly contended that management and governance of the mega-farms should be private sector-led, with government providing supporting infrastructure and conducive marketing and trade policies.