Research, development key to agro transformation
Investing in research, development and extension services can help to promote agriculture transformation and unlock its vast potential as a catalyst for national development, agricultural experts say.
The experts said this at the 11th Ndizotheka Eminent Speaker Series hosted by Mwapata Institute in Lilongwe on Thursday.
In his keynote address, Michigan State University professor emeritus of agricultural, food and resource economics Thom Jayne said authorities need to integrate local knowledge and create innovations that can power the local agricultural sector.
He said: “Modern science and traditional knowledge should be combined and adapted to contemporary problems such as climate change and global warming.
“We have to develop those technologies that can work for countries such as Malawi.”
Jayne urged local authorities to allocate more money to agricultural research, development and extension, saying prior research in Sub-Saharan Africa shows that increased expenditures usually translate to increased productivity and higher yields.
On his part, National Planning Commission director of knowledge and learning Joseph Nagoli urged local authorities and key players in the agriculture sector to use local initiatives such as the National Research Agenda launched last year to do research that can produce usable information.
“This research, based on sound and practical methodology, should be used to inform the science that we are conducting as well as the technologies and initiatives that we are using to revamp the agricultural sector,” he said.
Local farmer Christopher Chimzimu, who belongs to Tsogolo Farmers Club in Dowa District, said the technology and initiatives developed will have to be complemented with effective agricultural extension services to permeate to the grassroots, where most of the production takes place.
“When this knowledge is developed, we have to create mechanisms for extension workers to hold demonstrations with local farmers,” he said.
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources head of the agricultural extension department Paul Fatch said the government has to employ more people and revise some policies.
Data contained in Budget Document 5 shows that only 40 percent of local farmers adopted the use of new technologies and 52 percent others were accessing new technologies.
