2 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017

NJIRA ZAMAKONO ZA ULIMI

Special Essay by DR DAVID MKWAMBISI, an Associate

Professor of Environment and Development at
Luanar. He is also a member of the UNFCCC
committee on Climate Change and Agriculture.

Climate change and agriculture:

Where do we go wrong?
G
lobal, regional and

HOT INSTITUTIONS national forums, summits

and conferences have
discussed, generated solutions
and recommendations on how
The following are countries and communities can
address challenges of climate
organisations and change on economies. These
forums have also provided
solutions on how agriculture, in
institutions that the face of climate change, can
create employment, enhance
are promoting the food and nutrition security,
reduce malnutrition and provide
agriculture sector in the necessary raw materials for
economic growth. Despite such
huge investments and increased
Malawi: global and local consultation
foot prints, Malawi remains food
insecure and is placed 170 out of
1 Johnhasen 178 countries in terms of human
development index to be among
the poorest countries even 53
2 Smallholder Farmer years after independence.
Fertiliser Revolving Climate change and

Fund of Malawi agriculture
Government reports, scientific
(SFFRFM) findings, civil society campaigns
and media intelligences have
shown that Malawi is vulnerable
3 Famers to climate and weather variability
mainly because majority of
Organisation smallholder farmers depend on
rain-fed agriculture. Due to global
Limited (FOL) and regional climatic changes, the
country is faced with prolonged
4 CORI dry spells, floods, heavy rains,
strong winds and increased
5 Chemical World incidences of pests and disease.
Statistics from the Country
Profile of Disasters show that
6 Royal Motors most of the observed impacts of
the climate related disasters in
7 USAIDF the agricultural sector are crop
failure, (loss of yield and income)
and loss of land and infrastructure
8 Peacock Seeds destruction due to flooding. The
information further shows that
9 AGAS maize has been the most common
crop that is being affected with
few incidences of tree crops,
livestock.
Furthermore, with specific
to maize production in Malawi,
reports indicate that with droughts
and floods experienced in recent
years; 2015 maize harvests were
30 percent lower than in the
previous harvest season. The
Malawi Vulnerability Assessment
Committee (Mvac) attributed this
to the late onset of rains in the
20142015 maize growing season,
followed by continuous heavy
rain in early 2015 which caused
widespread flooding and affected
25 of the countrys 28 districts.
Wi t h i n t h e s m a l l h o l d e r
agriculture sector, climate change
has also resulted in loss of crop
and animal biodiversity, poor
performance of crops and livestock,
failure to irrigate rice, increased
labour costs due to extended
transplanting dates of tobacco and
other crops, unforeseeable costs
to address pests and diseases and
poor quality of yield resulting in
low agricultural prices. These
outcomes have resulted in million
of households to depend on
natural resources thereby leading
to land degradation that has also
affected the agriculture land and
livestock pasture.
Climate change has resulted in flooding
Why Malawi is agriculture
vulnerable
Over years, research and
national level consultations have
revealed that there are other
structural and fundamental
features that have affected
national economy in general
and specifically the agriculture
sector. First and foremost, huge
investments in the agriculture
sector are targeting poor resource
smallholder farmers. This group
has been supported by irrigation
i n t e r v e n t i o n s , m a r ke t i n g
infrastructure, post harvest
technologies, subsidised farm
inputs and capacity building
programmes, among others.
But both financial and
environmental indicators among
the group have been disappointing,
leading to increased poverty and
perpetual food insecurity. One tend
to wonder why the Government of
PHOTOGRAPH:NATION
Malawi and development partners
still support this group despite
enormous evidence that it has
failed to feed the country and
create employment.
Coupled with limited intent in
visualising farming as business,
lack of commitment as well as the
growing dependency syndrome
(desire to receive hand-outs of
farm inputs from the projects)
is working against progress of
the projects intended purpose of
building resilience. In addition,
these farmers lack capacity in
market intelligence and research
as such; they meet challenges in
selling their produce. Smallholder
farmers have inadequate
capacity to manage irrigation
schemes and they lack the
required technical know-how
for other requirements including
SUPPLEMENT
PAGE 3

NJIRA ZAMAKONO ZA ULIMI
Agriculture needs transformation
PAGE 2
agronomical requirements
of the crops they are
irrigating. The smallholder
farmers have weak farmer
organisation resulting in
failure to mobilise resources
for maintenance of the
irrigation facilities. There
have also been challenges
associated with group
marketing and further
investments in their
agricultural interventions.
Consultations have
revealed that most of the
irrigation infrastructure
that was developed under
several funded projects are
heavily underutilised or
completely abandoned. For
instance, Mtengula Solar
Irrigation Scheme in Neno
covers 424 hactares (ha),
but farmers only cultivate
100ha and fail to produce
enough on the whole
potentially irrigated area.
Po o r p l a n n i n g a n d
programming by the
government and its partners
has been identified as one
of the challenges affecting
the agriculture sector in the
face of climate change. For
example, despite seasonal
weather forecasts released
every September by the
Department of Climate
Change and Meteorological
Services, Malawi and its
development partners tend
to ignore this information
for pr og ramming the
agricultural interventions.
The 2015 El Nino season
could have been properly
managed if the country
was able to harvest and
store water for agricultural
production.
The response by
government to climate
related disasters are
mostly targeting the
post disaster support.
This is mostly through
relief items, agricultural
inputs, sanitation and
accommodation facilities
and public health education.
There is no medium
and long-term response
plan for the disasters in
relation to agriculture; and
in general, the response
is not directly linked to
building the resilience in
the agricultural sector. For
example, contingency plans
facilitated by Dodma are
not directly linked to the
SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017
agriculture sector and lack
prior programming based
on climate information.
It is very clear that
despite having proper
structures in the Ministry
of Agriculture, Irrigation
and Water Development,
the institutional capacity of
government departments
and agencies promoting
agricultural development
with respect to building
resilience in the agricultural
sector leaves a lot to be
desired. Most of the
agricultural projects
in the country relies on
g ov e r n m en t o f f i ci a l s .
However, high turnover
and high vacancy rate in
government affects progress
as trained officers go for
other engagements.
Frequent transferring of
District Commissioners
(DCs) as well as District
Agricultural Development
Officers (Dados) also affects
implementation for better
or for worst outcomes.
Some of the DCs and
DADOs have the required
institutional management
capacity that can support
implementation of
agriculture intervention to
withstand climate change
shocks for community
r e s i l i e n c e . H o w e v e r,
political influence marred by
victimisation is weakening
the agriculture sector.
There are also
implementation conflicts
between government
ministries/ departments
as each department pursue
their own agenda and may
not efficiently support each
other. This has proved
difficult to get the services
from another Ministry/
department during
project implementation
because there is lack of
commitment/ownership of
the project activities.
Lack of coordination
has also been noted even
within the ministries. Such
challenges tend to affect
the agriculture sector since
weather factors require
timely interventions.
It has also been noted
that funding agencies
tend to delay in releasing
financial resources within
the agricultural season. For
example, funds that could
have been used to support
interventions at the onset
of the agricultural season in
Relief items are short-term solution to disaster
some cases are released at
the end of the season. This
is even worse considering
that almost 100 percent
of the agriculture projects
depend on financial support
from our donors.
While the development
partners have in place
the Donor Committee
on Agriculture and Food
Security (DCAFS), there
are certain projects that
individual donors are
championing without
the involvement of other
partners. This has resulted
in duplication of efforts,
wastage of resources and
constraint on government
staff..
This obser vation is
f u r t h e r w e a ke n e d b y
the participation of non-
governmental organisations
(NGOs) who are also
supporting or implementing
agricultural interventions
without following any
government plans or being
guided by the government
systems.
It is very clear on the
ground that the proliferation
of NGOs supporting climate
smart agriculture has also
contributed to the sectors
vulnerability. Results show
that these institutions
tend to utilise government
extension workers who
have failed to fulfil their
mandate by spending more
time with NGOs.
Most of the projects
that aim to build climate
resilience are marred with
issues of land ownership,
as other landowners
within the developed area
may have limited intent
in visualising farming
as business and lack of
commitment to engage in
farming. The issue of land
ownership is contentious
and is working against
progress of the countrys
intended purpose of
building resilience.
Po l i t i c a l p r e s s u r e
has resulted into small
PHOTOGRAPH:NATION
agriculture footprint
and/or too many small-
scale projects distributed
across the country. This
is influenced by members
of Parliament (MPs) and
councillors who have
been demanding projects
in their constituencies
and wards respectively
and hence influencing
projects designs.
Need for an
a g r i c u l t u r a l
transformation model
The government
and its development
partners should prioritise
agricultural commodities
(value chains) that will
receive the required
attention in the short
and medium term. The
business approach should
consider diversification
or other target v alue
chains towards, for
example, increased
livestock production.
The current approach
of supporting almost all
3
SPECIAL ESSAY
commodities is causing
unnecessary constraints
on the government.
It is very clear that
most of the projects in
Malawi are funded by
development partners
and have been designed
mostly to achieve food
security objectives
rather than supporting
sustainable economic
goals. Most of the projects
are being designed based
on development goals
articulated in government
policies and strategies
without critically looking
at emerging issues on the
ground. Future projects
should be designed on
business case approach
looking at human capacity,
financial resources, legal
mandates and business
management.
Future projects should
deliberately target
farmers that have the
capacity to manage
agriculture interventions
as a business and be
able to graduate from
poverty to economically
sustained farmers. The
very poor farmers should
be supported by other
mechanisms including
the social protection
programme.
Most of the projects
have failed to achieve
their objectives because
there are no clear
frameworks for managing
and implementing the
projects especially
those at community
level. In this case, the
government should have
a strategy of putting in
place an Agriculture
Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n Te a m
( AT T ) . T h e AT T w i l l
act as technical and
administrative partners
and should be specialised
in the commodity that
will be identified. The
ATT should be partnered
with t h e AT C s t o
form the Agriculture
Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n
Partnership (ATP).
In conclusion, the
agriculture and climate
c h a n g e s e ctors have
too many actors and
players. This outcome has
contributed to national
economy vulnerability
resulting in increased
poverty and land
degradation. n
 4 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017
FEATURES
*DR FELIX MAULIDI
and dR JOHN
KAZEMBE
A
griculture is the most
important vehicle for
realising economic
development, creating
employment and poverty
reduction in most countries
in the sub-Saharan Africa,
particularly in Malawi where
economic diversification is
limited.
For the past 50 years,
agriculture in the country
has confirmed its place as an
industry of national interest
although progress to develop
the sector has not matched
national expectations.
Improving agricultural
productivity is critical for
economic growth and
livelihood enhancement
and, therefore, meeting this
expectation.
Over the past years, with
the exception of the last
farming season (2016/17),
Malawi has experienced
low agricultural productivity
and lagged behind in terms
of total and per capita food
production.
Climate change, land
degradation, pest and disease
proliferation interactively
impose limits to agricultural
productivity, thus creating
perpetual food insecurity
and imports. The situation
is worsened with increased
food demand due to high
population growth currently
estimated at 18 million-plus.
Agricultural innovation
and technologies have been
widely recognised as key
to addressing most of the
causes of low productivity.
Research institutions all over
the world have generated
numerous technologies,
innovations and have
promoted improved
management practices to
address production risks.
However, adoption among
smallholder farmers has
remained extremely low.
One of the reasons
for the low adoption of
technologies, especially
among smallholder farmers,
is simply that they are
unaware of the existence of
the technologies. It appears
there is an absolute lack
of credible information on
the available technologies.
This is coming about mostly
because of an apparent
disconnection that exists
between researchers or
technology developers and
the intended beneficiary.
This raises a critical
question: Whose technology
Issues to consider on agricultural
innovations and technologies
do researchers develop?
Another reason for the low
adoption of the agricultural
technologies in Malawi can
be explained in terms of the
mismatch between time of
need and availability. Most
of the times, the innovations
come from the West and
they are implemented at the
time when they reach us,
which mostly take time. This
means that technologies are
not available when they are
needed most.
On the other hand,
imported technologies lose
local context and, therefore,
frustrating for adoption
among smallholder
farmers. This takes us to
the third point: Construing
that the technologies are
unprofitable, given the
complex sets of decisions
that farmers make about
how to allocate their land and
labour across agricultural
and non-agricultural
activities.
Research shows that in
smallholder farming, it is
mostly women who are
involved. Ironically, we live
in a society where women
have culturally very limited
control over resources in
the household. Even when
it comes to decision making
women do not take an active
role in the society.
Adoption of technologies
goes beyond the motivation
to improve production.
Famers are eager to know
where they can sell their
produce after a bumper
harvest. This is a critical
challenge which influences
whether or not to adopt a
technology.
Unscrupulous vendors
take advantage of the
situation facing smallholder
farmers to make profits
as they pay far too little to
make famers sustain their
farming enterprises. As
mentioned earlier, this begs
the question about how
technologies are produced.
Technologies developed
in a piecemeal are hardly
appealing to farmers. Rather,
they should be developed
in an innovation system
Few farmers use tractors in their fields
with a comprehensive
consideration of the whole
value chain.
Innovative small
producer organisations and
institutional arrangements
provide an array of services
ranging from enhancing
access to management of
natural resources, accessing
input and output markets,
improving access to
information and knowledge
and facilitating small
producers participation in
policy-making.
Improving adoption of
agricultural technology can
be possible with necessary
knowledge and skills relevant
to understanding the
dynamics and complexities
of the value chain system.
This brings us to the next
strand of argument about
the nature of curriculum
that can produce such an
imaginable expert.
Higher education
curriculum has traditionally
followed a silo -based
approach with discipline-
driven paradigms of teaching
NJIRA ZAMAKONO ZA ULIMI
PHOTOGRAPH:NATION
and learning. Consequently,
technology development has
followed a similar path. Such
technologies miss the harsh
realities of complexities
of the agricultural value
chain which calls for
understanding and
responding to services
ranging from enhancing
access and management of
natural resources, accessing
input and output markets,
improving access to
information and knowledge
and facilitating small
producers participation in
policy-making. This is a toll
in the current of disciple-
based curriculum.
Funding technology
generation is a long
process and requires huge
investment. The situation
on the ground suggests
that research institutions
are facing stiff funding
constraints rendering
technology development
project-based.
Technologies generated
this way are time specific
and their relevance to
broader spatial scale
is limited. Substantial
investment is required to
make technology generation
a continuous process with
adaptive mechanisms
for improvement of
technologies to suit various
times and environments.
There is a need to improve
technology performance by
appropriately aligning its
attributes with end-user
preferences that take into
account socio-economic and
agro-ecological conditions.
In terms of gender equity,
women were less likely to
adopt the new technology
(presumably due to
worse access to factors
of production, relative to
men).
Therefore, there is
need for Malawi to adopt
comprehensive gender-
mainstreaming strategies
as a prerequisite for
effectively addressing
gender-based constraints
which undermine adoption
and productivity of
agricultural technologies.
In addition, there is a need
for institutional reforms to
promote the efficiency and
effectiveness of technology
generation and delivery
systems.
We conclude that the
uptake of a new practice is a
complex process influenced
by both extrinsic and
intrinsic variables.
Extrinsic variables, such
as the characteristics of the
adopter, the characteristics
of the innovation and the
external environment, as
well as intrinsic variables,
such as knowledge,
perceptions and attitudes,
influence the decision to
take up a new practice.
We would like to challenge
researchers to consider
carrying out studies aimed
at understanding how both
intrinsic and extrinsic factors
interact and drive adoption
of the technologies. n
*The authors are lecturers
from the Lilongwe University
of Agriculture and Natural
Resources (Luanar)
 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017 5
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 6 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017

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Staff RepoRteR Farmers 6.5 metric tonnes challenges the market linkages, also working

O
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SFFRFM reiterates commitment to improve farmers lives

ALICK PONJE extending its target SFFRFM fertilizer nationwide, says since challenges by
Staff RepoRteR market to large- conform to Kachelenga. liberalisation proper marketing
scale farmers and standards. She adds that of the fertiliser of our products
The Smallholder estates. We are always SFFRFM is industry in the and services
Farmers Fertiliser SFFRFM sales transparent in our diversifying into 1990s. and through
Revolving Fund of and marketing activities because non-fertiliser Mostly it is to sensitisation
Malawi (SFFRFM) officer Angella we The institution products in its do with unfair campaigns, says
says it remains Kachelenga says the believe sales outlets competition Kachelenga.
committed to institution has good in giving has good such as since there are SFFRFM was
improving the lives quality fertiliser the best quality fertiliser agrochemicals, no regulated created in 1988
of smallholder with technical to the with technical seed, sprayers barriers to with the main
farmers who are the specifications farmer. and hoes entry into objective of
which comply We are
specifications thereby the fertilizer
company s major ensuring timely
target group. with farmers attaining which comply making its industry. Anyone importation,
The farmers, requirements. steady with farmers depots one- can enter the distribution and
mostly those in According to growth stop shops. Malawi market sale of various
requirements She adds
rural areas, usually Kachelenga, there in the even with types of fertilisers
fail to access are no incidents market despite that one of the limited fertiliser to smallholder
quality farm inputs, of underweight the volatile challenges that expertise. farmers to enable
thus SFFRFMs fertiliser bags and environment and SFFRFM is However, we them grow both
focus to reach out all the technical managing to have currently facing is are dealing food and cash
to them while also specifications of satellite depots stiff competition with these crops. n
 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017
7
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 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017 11
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 12 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017

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Motors, says it continues
growth and sustainability
in its business by
providing its customers
with the ultimate sales
- Germany and a water-
pump and generator
repair centre.
We provide the best
technologies
providing world-class experience, high quality all-round solutions for
ALICK PONJE adaptability. in brand support
solutions in Malawi to products and excellent our customers by sharing Staff RepoRteR According to activities.
meet the requirements of after-sales service. our vast experience and Madeira, the These include
its customers. Its products and knowledge; by innovating newest varieties extension
The 100 percent and conducting
Farmers
solutions cater for a wide
Malawian owned company, range of applications, business based on Organisation have a yield services, mass
which was established including the Automotive, trust, transparency and Limited (FOL) is potential of 4 to and interactive
in 2001, is probably the E n e r g y, A g r i c u l t u r e , customer satisfaction, gearing for the 5.5 metric tons communication
fastest growing after- Construction, Transport reads a note from Royal per acre with high
2017/18 main and technical
market solutions provider and Mining sectors. Motors.
in Malawi. A note from the The companys growing season by levels of disease support through
It has sole-exclusive company indicates that product portfolio for the introducing two tolerance. experienced and
distribution rights and Royal Motors has three agriculture sector includes new more medium We are also skilled sales,
strong-partnerships with divisions for the vital tyres, electrical and service trying to respond
parts for various vehicles maturity maize marketing and
some of the best brands after-market support link
in the global marketplace, to customers. and equipment, safety- varieties onto the to issues of technical team.
most of them world- This includes a state- wear, solar systems and market. hunger and post- Said Madeira:
leaders in their respective of-the-art Bosch Car & energy back-up solutions, The varieties, harvest losses in As a business, we
fields of expertise. Truck Ser vice Centre, tools, as well as generators the country; MRI
The company has and batteries for a variety MR1 624 and MRI are very creative
a Tyre Fitment Centre
achieved tremendous powered by Beissbarth of applications. n 634, are coming 514 hybrid maize and innovative
onto the market seed and Actellic and we exist to
hot on the heels of gold dust are provide safe and
other varieties MRI solutions. MRI cost effective
514 and MRI 614 514 gives farmers pest management
which are already an opportunity solutions and
winning the hearts to cultivate all seeds by offering
of many farmers year round with high quality
as evidenced from its core attributes products that
recent field shows of early maturing are approved by
where the farmers (100 120 days) the regulatory
expressly indicated dependent on authorities in
that they had altitude and its Malawi.
found new hope in strong tolerance to He added that
the two varieties. Maize Streak Virus FOL has also
FOL sales and and other soil- introduced the
marketing manager borne diseases and Nyonga pack
Hannock Madeira Actellic Gold dust which is a power
said the company preserves grain pack of different
has introduced the for a period of not pesticides
two varieties to less than 9 months designated for use
give farmers a wide with a window by small holder
range of choices. period of 2 weeks, farmers.
Madeira said said Madeira. The pack
MRI 624 and He added that comprises
MRI 634 and the FOL, which has seed dressing,
existing MRI 614 been in existence herbicides,
fall under the in Malawi for fungicides,
medium-maturity the past 37 insecticides,
range varieties years, believes grain insecticide,
in Malawi that in providing instruction
have proved to be farmers with the pamphlets in
drought resistant modern agriculture vernacular
and adaptable to practices and language and PPE
climate change solutions hence its (Gloves, masks),
with broader full engagement said Madeira. n
 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017 13
NJIRA ZAMAKONO ZA ULIMI ADVERTISING
 14 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017

FEATURES NJIRA ZAMAKONO ZA ULIMI

Stiffled aquaculture growth in

*DR AUSTIN H N
MTETHIWA, PHD

I
t is a known fact that Malawi is
an agricultural-based economy

apt innovations and technologies

with more than 11 million
people engaged in subsistence
farming and contributing more
than 75 percent of the food supply
in the country. The Agriculture
sector contributes about 90
percent of exports and a third of
the Growth Domestic Product
(GDP). Although the country
heavily depends on agriculture, the
production levels, especially under
subsistence agriculture, are quite
low amidst plentiful agriculture
innovations and technologies
that have been developed over
the years.
Aquaculture as a sector in
agriculture
One of the many sectors that
have suffered little development
in Malawi is aquaculture. Since
its inception in 1956, the sector
is struggling to grow as it has
only about 7 000 farmers against
11 million farming population
(about 1percent of the farming
population). Besides, there are
only about 10 000 earthen ponds

in the whole country, most of
which are less than 20 metres by
10 metres each. No wonder the
total contribution of smallholder
farmers to total fish catch in the
country barely hits 1 000 tonnes
per annum. This production is by
far lower than what the per capita
consumption of 20 kilogrammes
(kgs) per person per year as
recommended by World Health
Organisation (WHO). Currently,
Malawis per capital consumption
is 10.09 kgs per person per year.
Although the sector does
not flourish quite well, fish has
remained the most important
source of employment as well as
protein source in Malawi. Besides,
it provides 40 percent of the total
protein supply in the country.
Since fish is rich in mineral as well
as other important nutrients, it
contributes significantly to daily
nutritional requirements to the
majority of Malawian population.
Studies have revealed that many
people engage in aquaculture
merely as a hobby and not as part
of their major enterprise.
A section of individuals have a
feeling that because fish can grow
in water naturally without being
fed, then there is no need to feed
fish in captivity. The individuals
with this mentality usually engage
in aquaculture as a hobby. They
construct fish ponds, stock them
with fish, go on holiday and come
back after six months to harvest it
without providing any managerial
care. The result is that they get
frustrated and dump aquaculture
when they cannot harvest as they
expected.
Besides this, aquaculture has
not received enough promotion
at government level. Almost all
agricultural systems such as food
crop production, bee keeping,
fruit and vegetable production
as well as animal husbandry are
well addressed in the primary and
secondary schools curriculum. In
some cases, there are practicals in
those other agricultural systems.
Technologies that can boost
aquaculture in Malawi
There a lot more technologies
and innovations that have been
developed in the aquaculture
sector. However, adoption is
very slow. According to Rogers'
Diffusion of Innovation Theory,
adoption of a technology is
attributed to five factors:
Relative advantage- a degree to
which an innovation is perceived
as being better than the idea it
supersedes; Compatibility- a
degree to which an innovation
fits with the existing values,
past experiences, and needs of
potential adopters; Complexity-
a degree to which an innovation
is perceived as difficult to
understand and use; Trialability-
a degree to which an innovation
may be experimented on a
limited basis; and Observability-
a degree to which the results of
an innovation are visible to the
adopters.
The following are selected
technologies that have given
positive impact in aquaculture.
Use of improved fish breeds
Success in any agricultural
enterprise depends on the
quality and ability of the seeds to
posses traits that will give higher
yields. Similarly, in aquaculture,
the use of fish species with
fast growth rate and highest
optimum yield is one of the
innovations that have assisted
in achieving escalated yields in
aquaculture. While there are
other renowned high performing
fish species such as Tilapia
niloticus, Genetically Improved
Farmed Tilapia (Gift) and Carp,
they are restricted for cultured in
Malawi because of the countrys
laws and regulations. As such,
Malawi relies only on our
indigenous three fish species:
Tilapia rendalli, Oreochromis
shiranus and Oreochromis
Karongae which make up about
90 percent of the aquaculture
production in the country. While
they posses other good traits,
their growth rate is very slow.
However, through genetic
engineering and breeding,
recently there have been
improved breeds of Oreochromis
shiranus up F2 generation. Their
taste and other characteristics
Fish ponds are still few in the country
are similar to the indigenous
Chambo. However, the improved
Oreochromis shiranus have
shown exceptional traits in
growth rate and yields and
perform much better than the
non-improved ones. Fish yields
are expected to improve if these
improved breeds are used. The
Aquaculture and Fisheries
Science Department of Lilongwe
University of Agriculture and
Natural Resources (Luanar),
Bunda Campus, is putting
up modalities so that these
genetically improved fish species
are accessible to farmers.
Use of formulated feed as
a solution
Feed accounts for about
60 percent of the total fish
production cost. Over the years,
a number of fish feeds have been
developed, tested and proved
effective. It has to be stated
that it takes about 7 kgs of feed
to produce a 1 kg gain in live
weight of cattle. For pork, it
needs about 4 kgs of feed per
kilogrammes (kgs) of weight
gain, poultry needs about 2 kgs
while farmed fish less than 2
kgs of feed. Certainly, fish has a
better feed conversion ratio than
other animals.
While fish can live on natural
PHOTOGRAPH:NATION
feed (plankton, macrophytes and
benthos), the use of formulated
diets has extremely increased
fish growth performance and
improved yields. Farmers who
have ventured into aquaculture
can use locally available
ingredients to prepare feed
for their fish by themselves
w i t h a d v i c e f r o m L u a n a r,
Aquaculture and Fisheries
Science Department or any
other expert.
Cage culture and intensive
pond culture
More than 20 percent of
Malawi is water. Besides there are
more than 750 dams scattered
all over the country. Despite all
these amenities, cage culture is
hardly practised in Malawi by
smallholder farmers. However,
h i s t o r i c a l l y, c a g e c u l t u r e
has been key to flourishing
aquaculture production in many
countries. This technology has
seen aquaculture flourishing in
Thailand, Nepal, China as well
as Japan.
If we adopt this technology in
addition to intensive pond culture
systems, fish production will surely
improve in Malawi. n
*Austin H N Mtethiwa is Associate
Professor at Lilongwe Agriculture and
Natural Resources (Luanar).
 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017 15
NJIRA ZAMAKONO ZA ULIMI ESSAY

Modern ways of farming

PAGE 16 a thing of the past. hence the need to the importance protection and
markets. The losses
While the country make the present of conserving the sustainable development
are a constraint to
is proud of these newly-adopted environment to accord of natural resources. n
legumes such as soy food security not
various modern farming agricultural practices full recognition to
bean to maximise only in Malawi, but *DYSON MTHAWANJI
technologies, it is also sustainable. Chapter the rights of future
production. also in many African is Communiocations
important to consider III of the Constitution generations by means
In recent years, countries. Manager for CisaNet
future generations, of Malawi recognises of environmental
some farmers have Luckily, the
been applying package of modern
inoculants in soy farming ways
beans and the results includes strategies
have always brought on how farmers
smiles on their faces. can prevent this
Lilongwe University post-harvest loss.
of Agriculture and Farm Radio Trust is
Natural Resources promoting Purdue
(Luanar) will soon Improved Crop
introduce inoculants Storage (Pics) bags
for groundnuts. This for maize storage.
is good innovation, Pics bags are non-
especially now chemical, triple-layer,
when farmers are hermetically sealable
diversifying their bags developed by
crop production Pursue University,
following with USAid funding,
unreliability of some as part of modern
main crops such as agricultural methods
tobacco whose sales and a low-cost
are becoming poorer. solution to post-
Managing post- harvest losses of
harvest losses grains and legumes.
It is disappointing A Pics bag consists
that sometimes of two layers of
famers lose the polyethylene liners
already harvested and a third layer
crop. Yes, post- made from woven
harvest losses are a polypropylene. When
serious issue. The each layer is tied and
losses are some of closed separately, it
the challenges that creates a hermetically
farmers face. The sealed environment
dangerous part of for storing harvested
it is that it happens grain. This oxygen-
silently and when deprived environment
the farmer notices proves fatal for pests,
it, it is too late and molds and aflatoxins.
irreversible. These modern
According bags are suitable for
to research by storing groundnuts,
the Catholic soy beans, maize,
Development rice, beans, cowpeas,
Commission of and pigeon peas and
Malawi (Cadecom), other grains and
post-harvest legumes. They are re-
losses for Malawi usable for more than
sometimes go as three years.
high as 600 000 A farmer from
tonnes annually. Its Mchinji, Trecio
2012 report titled Kangola, says before
Post-Harvest Losses he started using
in Selected Crops in Pics bags, he would
Malawi observes that lose four out of 10
post-harvest losses bags of harvested
occur at each stage crop to weevils
of the value chain of and aflatoxins. If
the selected crops all smallholder
in which the farmer farmers adopted this
is directly involved, technology, the post-
from harvest to harvest losses will be
 16 SPECIAL PULLOUT THE NATION 31, AUGUST 2017

*ALISTALICO
ESSAY CHILANGA NJIRA ZAMAKONO ZA ULIMI

Doing farming the innovative way

*DYSON MTHAWANJI

I
n recent years,
smallholder farmers crop
production has been poor
due to natural disasters. For
example, about 6.5 million
Malawians were recently in
need of food following floods
and dry spells in some parts
of the country.
The poor production
among smallholder farmers
gives them no excuse in
adopting modern agricultural
practices. They account
for 95 percent of total
production, hence their
downfall is catastrophic not
only to Malawis agriculture
sector, but the entire
economy.
The negative impact
of droughts has become
increasingly significant over
the years. With climate
change, this trend is likely to
continue.
The country experienced
two consecutive severe
droughts in 2014/15 and
2015/16 growing seasons,
and floods during the
2014/15 season. These had
major negative impact on

agricultural growth, exports
as well as food and nutrition
security.
According to World Banks
2016 report, maize, which is
Malawis staple food, is by
far the dominant crop grown
by almost every farmer in
the country and accounting
for almost 50 percent of the
entire planted area.
It is important, therefore,
that farmers adopt modern
farming technologies which
will maximise agricultural
output, mainly maize, the
staple food.
Civil Society Agriculture
Network (CisaNet), an
organisation that provides
agricultural advocacy and
networking, is impressed
with various interventions
by many stakeholders in the
agriculture sector.
More non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) in
this sector are promoting
improved seeds which lead
to maximised harvests. For
example, the International
Crops Research Institute
for the Semi Arid Tropics
(Icrisat) is working with
strategic partners to make
available improved seeds.
Among others, the strategy
aims to increase production
of early generations of
seed, that is, breeder and
foundation or basic classes
of seed. At the end, this
prevents farmers from
recycling seeds as per
traditional farming method.
Thus the yields will be huge
and more households will be
food-secure.
Advanced extension
services
It is also pleasing to see
extension services getting
to an advanced stage.
Organisations such as Farm
Radio Trust are now helping
farmers with agricultural
messages through mobile
phone messages. By dialing
7111 (TNM) or 8111 (Airtel),
a farmer is able to get any
answer for their agricultural
question which they pose
to Farm Radio Trust. This is
good development and it is
likely to improve agricultural
activities because famers will
have relevant agricultural
information at their finger
tip.
In the past, many farmers
lacked instant information on
other crops rather than maize
amid calls and more talk in
public sphere about crop
diversification. Therefore,
the extension services via
mobile phones will widen
agricultural knowledge of
farmers, not only about
maize, but also other newly
adopted crops such as soy
bean and pigeon peas.
Drought has affected crop production
Solar technology
Many farmers are also
adopting solar-powered
irrigation farming which
supports unreliable rain-
fed agriculture. The modern
farming demands farmers
to adopt solar-powered
irrigation which minimises
human labour.
This technology helps
farmers save time and
concentrate on other
things such as care
for their families. For
example, Farmers Union
of Malawi (FUM), with
financial support from the
Department for International
Development (DfID) in May
last year installed a solar-
powered water pump at the
55-hectare Nthera Irrigation
Scheme at Traditional
Authority (T/A) Mulumbe
PHOTOGRAPH:NATION
in Zomba District to make
winter cropping process
easier.
The machine pumps water
from Shire River into a 50
000 litre storage tank which
is later used to irrigate crops
such as maize, cassava and
sweet potatoes. This is one
of the areas in Malawi which
experienced persistent dry
spells in 2015 and caused
enormous damage to farmers
crops.
Since the time, formal
agriculture was introduced
in Malawi where farmers
thought legumes do not
require fertilisers. But
modern way of farming
teaches them that a farmer
needs to apply inoculants to
SUPPLEMENT
PAGE 15