World Bank K36bn project to ensure food security

Malawi is set to cut on its perennial hunger crisis following the launch of a K12 billion (about $30m) World Bank-funded food security project on Monday at Chitedze Research Station in Lilongwe.
The bank has bankrolled the project, Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA), to a total tune of $90 million (about K36 billion) over a six-year period. The project is also said to be piloted in Zambia and Mozambique before upscaling across the continent.
The project, among other objectives, seeks to promote a regional approach to agricultural technology generation and dissemination by supporting the strengthening and scaling up of regional centres of research leadership on commodities of regional importance.
Malawi will concentrate on maize-based farming systems, with neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique in legumes and rice, respectively.
Minister of Agriculture James Munthali has since hailed the project, saying it stands to stabilise the food security in the region.
“Malawi is one of the best producers of maize and yet we face perennial food shortages. This is so partly because our production also feeds the neighbouring countries in the region which ultimately creates some deficiency on our part. This project will help bridge that gap as the region will be food-secured, a move that will also flourish trade.” He said.
Project coordinator Wilkson Makumba, who is also director for Chitedze Agricultural Research Station, said APPSA has been specially designed to emphasise on technology transfer.
“It uses capacity development and training as a key entry point to build relationship between stronger and weaker systems, which is key to not only improving food security in the region but also trade ties as well. By the end of the day, it’s the small-scale farmer it [the project] seeks to promote in order to spur agricultural growth in the region.” Makumba said.