International Food Policy Research Institute (Ifpri) Malawi has identified land constraints and market information challenges as factors frustrating cereal-legume intercropping deemed as a sustainable agricultural system for commercialisation.
In its latest study, Ifpri analysed six agro-ecological zones in the country to determine the viability of the system to enhance agriculture productivity and commercialisation, which are two enablers of Malawi 2063, the country’s long-term development plan.
Reads the study report in part: “Our results highlight the significance of land constraints across all regions, with the southern mid-altitude plateau being the most land-constrained zone.
“We find that farming households adopt a subsistence approach focused on staple food production in the baseline scenario across all zones.”
The study recommends that increasing land available to farming households by 20 percent influences households to intercrop more relative to other zones.
The study has come at a time the Ministry of Agriculture is promoting intercropping in land -constrained areas.
Meanwhile, the Ifpri study suggests market information is another setback as some farmers are not enticed to intercrop with legumes because they do not have knowledge about the markets and seed supply.
In an interview yesterday, Ministry of Agriculture director of crop development Elida Kazira said intercropping is an approved technology and farmers are encouraged to embrace it because it helps to achieve crop diversification.
She said: “Intercropping minimises the spread of pests and diseases while also increasing productivity and providing food security for the farmer. .
“Intercropping with legumes can improve soil fertility by adding nitrogen to the soil. This practice also helps to prevent soil erosion and increase crop yield.”
Kazira said intercropping, especially between cereals and legumes provides insurance against crop failure, reducing the risk for farmers from climate change effects on some crops.
She said less labour is needed for farm operations and equal care can be given to both crops under intercropping, thereby allowing for efficient nutrient utilisation.
Agricultural policy development expert Tamani Nkhono-Mvula agreed with the report on importance of market information while calling for awareness to convince land-constrained farmers to adopt intercropping.
He said: “Of course it is important for policymakers to consider improving agricultural land management programmes, but I believe the only solution for now is to ensure that farmers grow various crops on the same piece of land.
“There is a need to sensitise farmers to the benefits of this because research has shown that some crops such as cereals and legumes do well when intercropped.”
On his part, agriculture expert Leonard Chimwaza said in an interview yesterday that markets for legumes are readily available both locally and internationally, but added that there is need for increased awareness oon the importance of intercropping.
Malawi is an agro-based economy and agriculture contributes about 25 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, according to the 2024 Malawi Government Annual Economic Report.
