Cotton farming on decline in Malawi
Like in many African countries, cotton farming in Malawi continues to face challenges resulting in a drastic decline in production.
Various stakeholders are now coming up with various strategies to revamp production of what was once the fourth forex earner for Malawi after tobacco, sugar and tea.
Among the organizations include Solidaridad and Kvino that have partnered with the Cotton Council of Malawi and the private sector in a project called Pathways to Prosperity Programme to support farmers under the Cotton Farmers Association in selected districts including Salima by establishing a seed multiplication programme, and offering technical support as well as connecting them to markets.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Cotton Seed Multiplication Field Day at Chinguluwe EPA in Salima, Solidaridad Southern Africa head of programmes Humphrey Nxumalo said in Malawi, cotton farming has gone down from over a 100 000 metric tonnes annually to about 13 000 while in Zambia, production has moved from 200 000 to about 20 000 metric tonnes.
He attributed the decline mainly to challenges in seed accessibility, exacerbated by rising costs of seeds.
“This is why we have this seed multiplication initiative to enhance seed availability and affordability to the farmers,” he said.
The project further strives to ensure equal and rewarded participation of producers in global value chains by fostering good production practices, improving market access, and enhancing service provision.
The seven-year project (2023-2029) is made possible with the financial support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the tune of €1,904,560.00 for tea and cotton production.
The organisation is working with about 200 000 cotton farmers.
