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Tag: Malawi

Malawi to adopt ‘Mega-Farms’ in a move to end persistent food shortage

MALAWI – Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has 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. The move follows that, Malawi has long faced food shortages at both national and domestic levels each year despite various efforts to boost agricultural production. According to The Observer, the country has…

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Illovo Sugar Malawi donates 103ha to LUANAR for large-scale maize production

MALAWI – Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc has donated 103 hectares to Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) for large-scale cultivation of maize under irrigation at Dwangwa Estate. The initiative, expected to produce 700 metric tonnes by October is aimed at complementing government efforts to address food insecurity that has hit the country…

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Malawi opts for NFRA over ADMARC in maize purchase deal, disburse US$15.6M

MALAWI – The government of Malawi has given K6 billion (US$15.6M) to National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), choosing the agency in buying maize for the 2023/24 Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) replenishment instead of ADMARC. According to All Africa, the decision by the government shows that NFRA has been mandated to purchase the strategic grain as opposed to using Agricultural Development…

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Malawian maize prices ease as harvesting kicks off, rice farmers call for structured markets

MALAWI – Malawians may soon enjoy cheaper maize meals as the average price of maize is slowly easing with freshly harvested maize coming onto the market, The Nation reports.  This comes after the International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFPRI) reported that maize prices in the country increased by 24% month-on-month to an average of K633 (US$0.63) per kilogram (kg), a 237%…

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US$543m financing gap stands in the way of Malawi’s push to achieve sustainable agriculture by 2030

MALAWI – Malawi needs US$543 million (about K563 billion) to achieve the transition to sustainable agriculture and food systems by 2030, International Institute for Sustainable Development data shows. According to The Nation Malawi, to bridge the financing gap, the Malawi government is supposed to raise US$70 million to complement the donor share of US$472 million to enable over 2.9 million…

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Cyclone Freddy claims 2,000 hectares of crops in Mozambique as Zimbabwe donates 300 tonnes of maize meal to Malawian victims

MOZAMBIQUE – The floods brought by tropical cyclone Freddy to the central Mozambican province of Manica have caused the loss of almost 2,000 hectares of crops, Allafrica has reported. According to AllAfrica, 8,164 hectares of crops had been affected of which 1,813 were completely lost, primarily maize and sunflower crops. Ernesto Lopes, Manica Provincial Director of Agriculture in an interview…

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Maize retail prices in Malawi increase by 24% owing to an acute shortage

MALAWI – Maize retail prices in Malawi hit a record high in the period between January and February 2023 underpinned by low production and acute shortage in the state’s reserve stocks, International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFPRI) has reported. The report indicates that maize prices have increased by 24% month-on-month to an average of K633 (US$0.63) per kilogram (kg).…

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Mount Meru Millers ordered to shut operations over environmental pollution issues

MALAWI – Mount Meru Millers, one of the largest edible oil manufacturing companies in Malawi, has been ordered by authorities in Malawi to stop operations until it rectifies its non-compliance with environmental regulations. Mount Meru Millers is a major player in edible oil manufacturing that deals in Sunflower, Soya, Palm, Cotton, and Groundnut seeds. According to Malawi Nyasa Times, the…

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Malawian corporation has asked the state’s regulatory body to retest the alleged “rotten” maize amid unfit-for-consumption claims

MALAWI – Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) has engaged the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to undertake a fresh test on the alleged “rotten” maize to ascertain whether it is fit for consumption, The uproar started from an earlier statement that the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Gwengwe made, claiming that 10 000MT of maize under Admarc’s…

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Malawi partners World Bank to raise agriculture financing to US$235M as new fertilizer consignment arrives from Russia

MALAWI – The government of Malawi in partnership with the World Bank has announced plans to increase the Agriculture Commercialization (Agcom) financing program from US$95 million to US$235 million in a bid to empower more farmers. The announcement was done during the 2023/24 National Budget Statement delivered in the Parliament by Sosten Gwengwe, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.…

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