MITC unveils more export markets

Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (Mitc) says it has identified regional and overseas export markets for some Malawian crop products.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mitc said it has identified markets in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, India, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana, United Arab Emirates, China, Japan and Indonesia.

The statement said the markets are for products such as soya, beans, groundnuts, rice, tea, coffee, macadamia, sunflower, pigeon peas, sesame, chickpeas, tomatoes, mangoes and pineapples whose demand ranges from 10 metric tonnes (MT) to 120 000 MT.

Mitc chief executive officer Paul Kwengwere said the market identified through the trade fairs, trade missions and expos that the Mitc attended in the last financial year (2021-2022), present a rare opportunity for local farmers and exporters.

Kwengwere has since implored export-ready farmers and companies that they need to take advantage of the market opportunities.

He said: “These market opportunities are from verified potential buyers who are ready to discuss pricing and tonnage issues with those that are interested.

“We are encouraging those with the said commodities to contact our office so that we link them to the potential buyers for further engagement.”

Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) chief executive officer Jacob Nyirongo has however indicated that the country needs a pro-active role in positioning its agriculture system to take advantage of such opportunities.

According to Nyirongo, in Malawi, production is still subsistence, rudimentary and less commercialised.

“As a result, we get overwhelmed when opportunities like these arise. It is therefore not surprising to note that the country is failing to exploit opportunities that are under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act and the recent South Sudan deal,” he said.

Nyirongo said the country needs more pro-active agricultural production systems that should be able to take advantage of opportunities like these ones through development and strengthening of public producer and private partnerships.

“Priority agricultural commodities under the National Export Strategy II should be intensified and commercialized. The country should establish mega farms around these commodities in order to position ourselves as a regional powerhouse for such commodities. Failing which, the country will still fail to take advantage of opportunities like these,” he said.

Lately, the Ministry of Trade has been proactive in searching for export markets for the country’s crops.