Malawi introduces district agriculture fairs

Malawi government has introduced district agriculture fairs with the first one ever held in Rumphi last week under the theme “Linking stakeholders in promoting sustainable climate resilient agriculture production, value addition and marketing through transparent contract farming”.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Food Security Ulemu Chilapondwa said the district agriculture fairs will help farmers at the district level to improve their farming activities and get connected to markets and organisations that would help value addition of their products.

“This is the beginning of district agriculture fairs. After this one, we shall go to other districts. We are encouraging farmers to treat agriculture as business,” said Chilapondwa when he presided over the Rumphi district agriculture fair.

Rumphi district agriculture development officer Youngs Nyirenda said the three-day fair was expected to benefit 15 000 farmers in the district.

“This is the first time ever in Malawi to have agriculture fair at a district level. In the past we used to have agriculture shows which did not give adequate time for farmers and other stakeholders to interact. Now we are changing from agriculture shows to fairs and this is the launch of that,” said Nyirenda.

Nyirenda said government is trying to move away from organising agriculture fairs at Chichiri Trade Fair grounds in Blantyre where some farmers fail to participate because of long distances and other logistical reasons.

He said Rumphi has fertile soils and grows tobacco, coffee, macademia, maize, beans, groundnuts and irish potato among others.