MALAWI – The Government of Japan has given Malawi 5, 200 metric tonnes (MT) of fertilizer to Malawi to boost the country’s efforts to produce enough food.
The consignment follows that, in March, Japan committed to provide a grant of 650 million JPY (US$4.5M) to facilitate the procurement of fertilizer.
The Japanese Ambassador to Malawi, Mr. Yoichi Oya, handed over the fertilizers during a function in Lilongwe on Wednesday.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Oya said they decided to assist the people of Malawi to support their lives at this difficult moment caused by the escalating prices of commodities including food.
He said the support would also help in addressing Malawi’s forex shortage which is compounding the country’s economic challenges.
Oya underscored that Malawi is an agricultural country and the majority of its people depend on agriculture for their livelihood.
“In this context, our assistance aims at enhancing people’s food security, improving households, promoting sustainable growth of the country, and helping the country overcome this complex crisis. Stable access to food forms the basis for people to live with dignity,” he said.
Agriculture remains the mainstay of Malawi’s economy, contributing close to a quarter of the country’s GDP and employing about 64 percent of the labor force.
However, although the government consistently allocates at least 10 percent of the national budget to the agriculture sector, Malawi has long been heavily dependent on imported food crops following climate change distress devastating crops, and low yields.
In a bid to cut imports, President Lazarus Chakwera recently launched a large-scale crop production initiative dubbed “mega-farms,” aimed at boosting the country’s agricultural-based economy and helping end persistent food shortages.
On fertilizer distribution, Oya pleaded with the Ministry and Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) to provide necessary guidance for the proper management and distribution of the fertilizer
This, according to him, will ensure that fertilizers reach their intended beneficiaries and are properly used to promote food security and economic stabilization of the country.
He said Japan has always stayed close to the people of Malawi and offered them a helping hand, hoping that this project, too, will contribute to the sustainable growth of the country.
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