Mining & Trade News

Government says there is need for a majority of Malawi’s young population to play a role in agricultural development if the country is to address food insecurity and expand its export base.

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Kondwani Nankhumwa said this on his return from a 3-day long Global Forum on Food and Agriculture (GFFA) Conference held in Berlin, Germany.

“We agreed at the conference that there is no way food security for a nation like Malawi can be achieved if the youth, who form the majority of the population, are not taking an active role in agriculture,” he said.

The conference which was held under the theme “Food for All! Trade for secure, Diverse and Sustainable Nutrition” brought together Agriculture Ministers from 71 countries to discuss long lasting solutions to food insecurity.

Currently more than 820 million people suffer from hunger, and 2.5 billion suffer from some form of micronutrient deficiency, while the world’s population is growing fast and projected to reach nearly 20 billion people by the year 2050.

Nankhumwa told Mining & Trade Review that the conference was vital for Malawi’s Agricultural transformation drive as it has set another benchmark on how the country is fairing in ensuring risks of food insecurity are mitigated.

“We have discussed how trade in food and agricultural commodities and trade in services for Agriculture can contribute towards achieving food security for the world’s increasing population, as well as improving farmer’s livelihoods and income,” he said.

At the conference, it was also observed that most of the strategies governing agricultural sectors in many countries are outdated making it difficult for present farmers to sail through the current waves in the sector brought by numerous natural and technological changes.

Nankhumwa said: “A policy is a living document which must be regularly monitored and changed over time as the world is dynamic.”

“Malawi must follow suite to ensure we are at par with our trade partners and competitors.”

He noted that over the past few years, Malawi has not been able to maximize agricultural production to satisfy the local and international demands which calls for the need for adoption of new policies to advance mechanisation and commercialisation systems.

At the conference, the Ministers had sessions with Agriculture youth representatives from various countries, who presented their petitions lobbying governments to create conducive environment for youth participation in agricultural activities.

Nankhumwa pledged to implement more youth-centred projects to supplement Youth in Agriculture project which his ministry is currently running in some districts.

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