Malawi Seeks Russian Agricultural Technology to Boost Production, Minister of Agriculture Says

Malawi is interested in Russian affordable and environmentally friendly agricultural technologies and encourages both state and private investments in the farming sector of the country, MP and Agriculture Minister Samuel Dalitso Kawale told Sputnik Africa.

"I had the privilege [a year ago] of meeting the [Russian] agriculture minister and the trade minister. We talked about introducing Russian technologies into the country. We are waiting for the responses from the Russian government and the private sector to come and take their place in the agriculture sector in Malawi," he said.

The agriculture minister expressed interest in affordable but yet environmentally relevant technologies for farmers.

"We have thousands of Malawians who are looking for tractors and implements to use so that we can increase production in the country. Apart from implements, we also have other technologies, especially irrigation technologies, because that's where we are moving at a faster pace. As a mitigating factor against climate change," Kawale noted.

Malawi Collaborates With Southern and Eastern Africa on Agricultural Research and Technology

In terms of research, Malawi is already collaborating with Southern and Eastern Africa, the speaker pointed out.

"There's a grouping of scientists within these countries, specifically in the agriculture sector. The collaboration is extremely good," Kawale emphasized.

Technologies developed or approved in one country, like a specific nano-urea fertilizer in Zambia, are readily shared with other countries in the region, such as Malawi and Tanzania, to avoid redundant testing, the minister explained.

"The technologies that we develop in Malawi, we share with our neighbors and other countries in study for them to adopt in their countries and help the farmers," he said.

This collaborative approach allows for more efficient adoption and implementation of beneficial agricultural technologies across the region, the official noted.

Malawi's Sustainable Agriculture Practices Potentiate Regional Food Security

"I feel that in Malawi we've gone miles ahead of other countries in implementing sustainable agriculture practices. I feel we can share, and we are supposed to share this knowledge with other countries in Africa for them to see what we are doing so that they can adopt and adapt what we are doing to suit the context of their countries," the speaker stated.

Malawi can contribute to regional food security by increasing its own agricultural output and potentially exporting surplus food to other nations, Kawale pointed out.

"Malawi has the potential of the statistics to save 450,000 hectares that can be under irrigation. We are only doing about 145,000 hectares. So, we still have a deficit of 250,000 hectares that need to be put under irrigation," the official explained.

Considerable progress has already been made towards this goal, and the expansion of irrigated farmland is crucial to achieving food security in Malawi while simultaneously contributing to food affordability and security throughout Africa, the agriculture minister concluded.

"That's why we are investing heavily in commercial farming and investing heavily in irrigation so that we can be food sufficient in Malawi," he said.