At the bustling Nsalu and Kabudula rural trading centres in Lilongwe, a quiet revolution is taking place.
Here is an agrarian reform spreading beyond Lilongwe Agricultural Development Division (ADD), following the food system from the agro-dealer to the consumer through youthful farmers who get tips from extension workers, high-yielding seed from manufacturers and financial boost from banks.
The initiative links the youth, civil society organisations, government departments and the private sector to boost Malawi’s food systems from the field to the folk.
Step into Annovin Investment shop run by 34-year-old Aaron Isaac at Nsalu and you immediately sense that this is a vision for the future.
Shelves are neatly lined with certified seeds, pesticides, and fertilisers, a far cry from the disorganised stalls that often characterise rural trading.
Farmers stream to buy inputs and seek advice—and Isaac is ready with guidance that blends technical know-how with entrepreneurial flair.
He brags: “I buy and sell only certified seeds so that farmers don’t complain. I learned to display products attractively to attract customers. It’s easy to locate what they are looking for.
“I don’t sell expired pesticides and herbicides. I have information ready on proper application. This is what has grown my business.”
Isaac’s journey began in 2017 with just K300 000. Today, his annual turnover has soared to K5 million.
He has built two rental houses and opened a second shop in Bua between Lilongwe and Kasungu.
The entrepreneur has become a local role model for what agribusiness can achieve.
He owes it all to the Youth Work in Agro-dealer Development project run by the Rural Markets Development Trust (Rumark).
Rumark programmes manager Macphelly Masangano, said the initiative started in 2024 and works with 1 000 young people in 13 districts under Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Kasungu, Salima and Machinga ADDs.
“In the past, only the old folk were involved in this business. Not only do we teach the youth how to run this business, we also run a revolving fund where they can get at least $300 to buy seed or chemicals from established companies. When they pay back, the companies have confidence in them and they offer more,” he says.
According to Masangano, their network includes 6 000 agro-dealers and 600 of them are aged over 35.
“The idea is that the 600 agro-dealers should grow their business and employ at least 1 200 young people,” he says. “That way it will mean 2 200 youths are earning a living from this sector.”
Harold Harrison, 25, grows soya beans in John Village near Kabudula under the guidance of Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) extension worker Spencer Wanda.
Harrison, from Mchisu Cooperative, uses certified seed, pesticides and inoculants from agro-dealers such as Isaac.
He started growing soya in 2021.
Last year, he got a K570 000 Pusha loan from FUM to buy 60 kilogrammes of seed for his one-and-half acre plot.
“I couldn’t get all that on my own, but this is the best seed. I only paid K57 000 as deposit and I will settle the loan after selling the soya,” he says.
Harrison expects to harvest about 23 bags on the field where he used to get six bags.
Wanda observed that this is a boost for the farmer who once complained of low yields from uncertified seeds.
“Besides, FUM already has a deal with a cooking oil youth-led cooperative which produces cooking oil. This is a better deal than selling on their own to vendors,” he says.
According to FUM programmes manager Derrick Kapolo, the union is working with 167 222 young agri-preneurs in Kasungu, Dowa, Ntchisi, Mchinji, Lilongwe, Dedza and Ntcheu to boost their incomes.
Another project engages the youth in producing high-value husbandry like horticulture, poultry and honey making.
“Although agriculture contributes between 20 and 25 percent of the country’s GDP [gross domestic product], it largely driven by an ageing population. We want to bridge the gap so that there is increased productivity among the youth, and easy access to extension and get rid of market barriers. That is why we are working with over 4 000 youths in 128 cooperatives across the country,” says Kapolo.
The project identifies the youth through the National Youth Council of Malawi (Nycom) under the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (Yeffa) programme, run by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) with support from the Mastercard Foundation
Nycom programme officer Felix Chiyenda explains: “We want young people to see agriculture as a business, not just subsistence. Yeffa is about building futures.”
Agra Malawi country director Eluphy Nyirenda says the programme seeks to empower one million young people, with 746 126 of them in employment.
She adds that 251 513 of them should be in dignified and fulfilling work, with 50 percent of them young women and 2 percent being youth with disabilities.
“This programme has the potential to be a game-changer for young Malawians in agriculture. We are deliberately focusing on young women and those with disabilities, ensuring inclusivity in agribusiness opportunities. Agriculture is not just about farming—it’s about entrepreneurship, innovation, and creating jobs,” she said.
In Nsalu, Isaac embodies that dream.
His journey from a small agro-dealer to a thriving entrepreneur is proof that with the right support, young people can transform agriculture into a sector of opportunity and pride.
