By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, July 0, Mana: Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, says the newly launched US$53 million (approximately K91.65 billion) Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme (SAPP II) is in line with the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) on agricultural transformation, as the programme has a strong focus on agricultural commercialization.

Kawale made the observation when he launched the Second Phase of the Programme at Malingunde Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Lilongwe on Tuesday.

He further observed that the seven-year International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) SAPP II, whose development started in 2023, will complement the World Bank Funded Agriculture Commercialization (AGCOM) in achieving the MW2063.

SAPP II is targeting to commercialize those farmers that are just graduating from being subsistence.

“On the other hand, AGCOM targets farmers that are able to mobilize resources to commercialize their agricultural production but cannot afford to meet the other requirements for credit as is demanded by the financial institutions.

“In this way, the agricultural commercialization drive is more inclusive and forms a continuum,” he said.

The minister noted that SAPP II will invest in capacity building initiatives as it will, among others, facilitate partnerships between producer farmer organizations and the private sector both for input and output market penetration, as well as foster opportunities for groups to access mainstream finance.

The programme targets 80,000 smallholder households in Dowa, Balaka, Lilongwe rural and Mzimba. It will equip farmers with the tools and knowledge to tackle food insecurity, boost wealth creation and improve livelihoods of rural communities.

IFAD Country Representative to Malawi, Bernadette Mukonyora, concurred with Kawale saying, like SAPP I, the second phase of the programme aims to further contribute to reduction of poverty in rural areas by empowering rural women, men and youth to participate in the sustainable transformation of agriculture.

Mukonyora said the programme’s efforts will lay the foundation for the commercialization of smallholder farming systems by strengthening farmer organizations, promoting market linkages and value addition and establishing a Farmer Challenge Fund to support both farm and off-farm enterprises.

“The launch of SAPP II marks a significant step towards achieving Malawi's vision of becoming a wealthy, self-reliant and industrialized upper-middle-income country by 2063,” said Mukonyora.

“Let us work together to ensure that this project not only meets but exceeds its goals, transforming the lives of smallholder farmers and contributing to the sustainable development of this beloved nation,” she added. 

Mukonyora pledged IFAD’s commitment to rural transformation through various programmes aimed to address development needs of rural communities in Malawi. 

On the SAPP I, which was implemented in Chiradzulu, Blantyre, Balaka and Lilongwe, Mukonyora said the programme made notable progress as it saw beneficiaries experience a 28-percent increase in income from crop production compared to non-beneficiaries.

She noted that food insecurity among beneficiaries was significantly reduced, leading to improved crop and livestock productivity and better nutritional outcomes due to enhanced crop yields, diversification and nutrition activities introduced by SAPP.