By Leah Malimbasa

Chikwawa, June 6, Mana:  Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, has reassured cotton farmers of government’s commitment to supporting the cotton sector for it to thrive.

Kawale made the assurance during the Goma Cotton Field Day held in Chikwawa on Thursday.

“The Ministry of Agriculture is pleased to see the cotton sector thriving. We made several commitments to assist the farmers with inputs, as well as securing markets. Illovo is one of the partners implementing what we have asked them to do and now we are seeing the fruits of this partnership,” said the Minister.

He continued: “We will continue visiting our farmers, listen to their concerns, celebrate their achievements and walk alongside them as they grow. We can’t wait to come to a point where we minimise importation of clothes and produce the cotton and manufacture the clothes, so Malawians will be buying the clothes and we will be exporting some for forex.”

One of the farmers benefiting from Illovo Cotton Project, Bertha Joseph, described the initiative as a game changer for her and other farmers benefitting from the same through their respective cooperatives.

“I’m expecting to make K1 million from cotton sales this year: I will use the money to pay school fees for my children, and buy livestock,” she said.

The Illovo Cotton Project is being implemented under the Illovo Agricultural Enablement Project, currently piloting a cotton export trial in partnership with the Thriving Community Foundation.

The initiative spans 415 hectares and combines both estate (175 ha) and smallholder (240 ha) production through 30 organized cotton clubs.

According to Illovo’s interim manager, Kondwani Msimuko, this export-focused project aims to build a scalable, vertically integrated value chain that enhances soil health, boosts export earnings, and uplifts community livelihoods, while contributing to a Malawi economy.