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.
These are dead-end solutions. How many projects has the World Bank proposed that have ended up as white elephants? The open question that must be flashed back at World back economists is this, In which industrialised economy did you try this approach and it the economy developed? None. So what brings you to Africa sir?
This body is instrumental in keeping Africa down. Only industry can develop a country not more agricultural initiatives that they have been promoting ever since Independence. How has the world bank Chikangawa plantation transformed Malawi?
Comfort ye! Comfort ye! all my people! Wakeup! Wake up!
No country ever developed on the basis of pursuing agriculture as you have been told since 1964. You must pursue industry first to boost agriculture but the world bank never promotes manufacturing, why? Because that way you will never develop and hence the IMF will keep supporting you. Nothing to rejoice about this initiative. Malawi needs to industrialise so you can become like the US, China and Japan and so on. The secrete is industry first that is how nations world over achieved economic growth. In Africa These Bretton wood institutions have found fertile ground to hoodwink people. Here is UN resolution 2626 and I want every politician in the country to read all of it especially section 9 article item 76 . There lies the secrets for wealth creation, economic growth and development.
http://www.un-documents.net/a25r2626.htm
Asian countries have followed these and have transformed. Africa and Malawi did not follow these instructions and have perished. I am happy to provide details about where to start with sustainable manufacturing. Malawians must develop this country no one can help. Only twin development policy of agriculture and manufacturing will do!