Emily Sanjira and her family have been struggling with hunger as hybrid maize varieties keep failing under harsh weather in the drought-prone district of Balaka.
“The adopted varieties could not withstand prolonged dry spells. Unlike the local varieties we used to grow, the new ones yielded too little and proved vulnerable to climate shocks,” she says.
Sanjira’s crop yields dropped drastically from 57 bags to just five when she switched from local seeds to hybrid seeds.
To feed her family for three weeks, she required 15 kilogramme of flour from local maize compared to 35kg from hybrid varieties.
With widespread use of hybrid varieties recommended by agricultural extension officers, it became difficult for her and other farmers to find local maize seeds.
However, since the 2020/21 growing season, the farmer’s fortunes have shifted as a result of growing local maize varieties that survive prolonged dry spells.
Umodzi Farmers Club lead farmer Clement Bonongwe says local varieties assure growers of food security because they yield more and last longer.
He gets 54 bags of maize from a one-acre field where hybrids used to give only six bags.
About 700 female-headed and 800 male-headed households enjoy this feat courtesy of the Farmer-Saved Seed Market Project run by Practical Action Malawi.
The initiative supports farmers in identifying and restoring resilient local varieties.
The 1500 families have also been equipped with climate-smart agriculture practices such as pit planting, manure use, water harvesting and agroforestry.
The project has also reduced production costs. Unlike hybrid seed, for which a five kg packet costs K60 000 to K80 000, local seeds are free and can be saved, shared and replanted.
“It was costly to replant the hybrids as I had to buy seed twice in a season. I save about K120 000 because I recycle my local seeds,” says Sanjira, adding that she sells surplus harvests.
In Chikwawa, another semi-arid district, Agnes Mpando says local seeds have transformed her family’s livelihood.
“My husband and I diversified the crops, which allows us to get more proceeds to support our development projects,” she says, noting that they have improved their housing and increased their livestock.
Mpando has enough time to manage her home because she does not have to waste time replanting.
Additionally, the money to buy replanting seeds has been invested in her fritters business.
These gains are supported by initiatives like the Enhanced Support for Farmers’ Rights project by the Centre for Environment Policy and Advocacy (Cepa).
The nongovernmental organisation promotes farmer-managed seed systems, farmers’ seed rights and community seed banks to preserve indigenous varieties.
Experts say local seeds perform better in challenging conditions because they are adapted to local environments.
According to Ministry of Agriculture principal research scientist Hector Malaidza, indigenous crops require fewer nutrients and can thrive in poor soils and erratic weather.
Though farmers should grow both varieties, he says, hybrid seeds are viable for commercial farmers, who have the financial and labour capacity, unlike most constrained farmers.
However, Malawi’s policies largely prioritise certified hybrid seeds, with limited recognition of indigenous varieties.
This policy gap contradicts the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (2001), which pushes for farmers’ rights to maintain local seeds to promote adaptation to climate change, pests and changing ecosystems.
In line with the African Union (AU)’s Agenda 2063, the African Model Legislation for the Protection of the Rights of Local Communities, Farmers and Breeders acknowledges the importance of farmers’ right to save and exchange local seeds.
Advocates are calling for stronger support for farmer-managed seed systems, including the development of a farm-saved seed policy to empower both formal and informal seed sectors.
Head of the Malawi Genebank, Modester Kachapila-Milinyu, says the benefits of local seeds include higher survival rates and lower production costs.
However, she cautions that farmers must still apply good agricultural practices to maximise yields amid climate change.
“The challenge is the misconception that the seeds can be grown without applying fertilisers or controlling pests. They need to be grown with climate-smart agriculture practices. More farmers are encouraged to grow local seeds to also conserve them for generations to come,” she says.
This story was produced with support from IDRC and MESHA through the Action Research for Effective Coverage of Climate Change issues in Africa project.
