Agricultural policy experts have welcomed the launch of the Malawi Trade and Investment Programme (Mtip) Matching Grant Fund (MGF), to enhance export potential of key agricultural value chains, specifically mangoes and macadamia nuts.
The initiative has been made possible through donor support, with the fund managed by Adam Smith International (ASI) on behalf of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The MGF is designed to support targeted investments in farms with landholdings between three and 40 hectares, as well as smallholder farmer cooperatives involved in mango and macadamia production. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate existing or planned export partnerships facilitated by off-takers.
ASI states that the fund prioritises projects that aim to increase farm-level productivity, generate employment, and expand exports.
“Eligible interventions include investments in irrigation infrastructure, processing equipment, and storage facilities,” reads part of the statement issued by ASI.
By strengthening irrigation, processing, and storage capacities, the MGF is expected to boost Malawi’s agro-processing potential and improve the country’s competitiveness in international markets. This aligns with the broader objectives of the Mtip to increase agricultural exports and stimulate economic growth.
Agriculture policy expert Tamani Nkhono-Mvula emphasised that the fund would help reduce production costs, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of local products.
“One of the biggest challenges for Malawian products is the high production cost. Production is expensive, forcing farmers to charge higher prices to break even,” he said.
The initiative is also supported by studies from the Mwapata Institute and the World Bank, which suggest that macadamia nuts and mangoes have significant export potential. The findings align with Malawi’s export diversification strategies.
According to the Policy and Investment Prioritisation Through Value Chain Analysis (PPVC) report by the International Food Policy Institute, macadamia and mangoes ranked first and third, respectively, in the market-led cluster. In contrast, traditional crops such as maize and tobacco ranked 15th and 11th, respectively.
In an earlier interview, Mwapata Institute research fellow Christone Nyondo, one of the researchers in the study, observed that mangoes and macadamia have high export potential.
