2022 Malawi Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization Conference Proceedings Summary Report

The 2022 Malawi Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization Conference (MAPCC) took place on the 9th and 10th of June 2022. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the National Planning Commission (NPC), and the MwAPATA Institute brought together a total of 471 participants at the conference venue (323 males, 148 females), representing various stakeholder organizations including representatives from government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), farmers’ organizations, the donor community, civil society, private firms, the media, and academia for the two-day event. The theme of the conference was “Driving Agricultural Diversification in Support of the Aspirations of Malawi 2063 (MW2063).” This aligned with the MW2063 first 10-year Implementation Plan (MIP-1), in which Pillar 1 focuses on agricultural productivity and commercialization, with an emphasis on a strong diversification program. The 2022 MAPCC delegates reflected on the following: i. They identified strategies to foster the transformation of the agricultural sector into a more commercial and diversified sector for improved agricultural productivity and a more sustainable agri-food system. ii. They investigated barriers to growth and lock-ins that inhibit private sector growth, as well as enablers of investing in agricultural diversification, including emerging success stories replicable in the country. iii. They identified information gaps related to commodity value chains that hinder agricultural diversification, focusing on fostering interactions between producers, consumers, researchers, small and large farmers, and policymakers. iv. They identified practical solutions, policy recommendations, and incentive structures to promote agricultural diversification and ensure a sustainable agri-food system. Conference delegates cited the slow growth of the agricultural sector in Malawi as an issue needing urgent attention. The slow growth is associated with Malawi’s limited range of agricultural commodities (crops and livestock). In particular, export revenue depends largely on tobacco, for which Malawi’s share in the quantity and value of global supply has been declining. The decline in tobacco exports is exerting significant pressure on the country’s ii Balance of Payments (BoP). Consequently, the Government is keen on prioritizing agricultural diversification to strengthen BoP and the agri-food system. It was widely agreed that agricultural diversification is an integral part of the structural transformation of an economy and an important strategy for increasing agricultural productivity and spurring commercialization. It is expected to bring increased employment, greater foreign currency holdings, and improved food security in line with the Tonse Alliance Government’s focus on wealth creation for all Malawians. While the Government recognizes the urgent need to transform agriculture through the production of diverse, competitive, and high-value niche commodities destined for the export market, efforts to make this happen are limited. These efforts could include investing in physical infrastructure, crop-specific research and development, and extension services, and introducing policies that encourage private investment in high-value non-staple value chains, such as coffee, sugar, tea, macadamia nuts, oil crops, livestock, and fisheries. Conference delegates emphasized that political will, demonstrated urgency and speed in action, and deliberate inter- and intra-sectoral synergies are essential to accelerate the implementation of MIP-1. This is of utmost importance if Malawi’s goals of achieving most of the Sustainable Development Goals and graduating into a lower middle-income economy are to be realized. It is also consistent with the President of the Republic of Malawi, His Excellency, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s clarion call that “within 6 months, [he] would want to see results that the whole nation can appreciate that our agriculture is being transformed.”