Govt secures US$45m for soil health improvement, fertilizer use

President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is bringing home US$45 million from Nairobi, Kenya which Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has pumped in to help in promoting agricultural productivity.

The money will pay for scientific activities aimed at improving soil health, use of fertilizer and conservation in order to help the country produce enough thereby achieving food and nutrition security.

Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale has said the funds, which would be made available to Malawi for a period of five years, is important as it targets value chains that would bring more money to Malawi.

“Partners have pledged support in different ways.

“We met International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) which we work with in irrigation.

“There is a US$5 million package that has already been secured to help us in soil management to increase productivity,” the Minister said.

Kawale said the country is not food and nutrition secure because soil nutrition has been depleted hence the need to put in place mechanisms for soil management and the funding secured would help achieve that.

Chairperson for AGRA, Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe said Malawi is endowed with huge natural resources hence the need for the country to depart from rain fed agriculture to irrigation in order to respond to climate change shocks.

“Our work is to have a sustainable production system given the climate change calamities and vulnerabilities. We are launching a programme on sustainable farming which talks of how to improve soil, land and soil degradation as well as deforestation,” he said.

AGRA is investing in a youth programme that will create 250,000 jobs for youths in agriculture, agribusiness and food systems.

AGRA is a Pan African institution, which works on inclusive agriculture transformation in Africa and Malawi is one of the 16 African countries in its programme.

In Malawi, AGRA has trained agriculture professionals on agronomy and breeding.