Minister Sam Kawale launches National Agriculture Policy, and  two others

Minister Sam Kawale launches National Agriculture Policy, and  two others

Malawi’s Minister of Agriculture Sam Kale on Wednesday launched three policies which include the National Agriculture , National Irrigation and the Agriculture Land Resources Management Policy.

Speaking during the event , Kawale said the launching of the three policies marks a new chapter in the relentless pursuit of agricultural excellence and sustainable development.

The Minister extended heartfelt congratulations to all the stakeholders in the agriculture sector who have worked tirelessly and collaboratively in developing these three transformative policies.

The Minister said despite agriculture being important sector , it is not bringing much fruits.

“It is no secret that our agriculture sector’s performance currently falls below the threshold required to spur meaningful economic transformation. This underperformance is primarily due to structural constraints such as the vulnerability of agricultural production systems to climate change, limited access to markets for farmers, and an over-dependence on rain-fed agriculture,” he said.

As we are all aware, Malawi is an agro-based economy. Agriculture accounts for about 22.9% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employs approximately 64% of the total labor force, and contributes about 80% to our total foreign exchange earnings. It serves as the backbone of our economy, providing sustenance and livelihood for both urban and rural populations. Moreover, agriculture fosters essential backward and forward linkages that drive the growth of other economic sectors, catalyzing the structural transformation of our nation.

He said the launch of the policies is collective aspiration towards an ‘inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialized upper-middle income Malawi’ as outlined in the Malawi 2063 vision, the significance of the agriculture sector cannot be overstated.

He said Malawi 2063 recognizes the critical role of agriculture and identifies key investment areas necessary to systematically address these structural constraints.