Vegetable Innovation in Malawi

5 villages in the Thyolo District of southern Malawi are taking part in an innovative pilot project to improve vegetable production.

This part of southeast Africa is known for its cool climate and high rainfall, ideal for growing vegetables - yet productivity has remained low.

This is something that the newly formed Vegetable Innovation Platform hopes to change by working with partners to improve access to good seed, fertilizer and pest control products and by reevaluating marketing approaches.

The Platform is made up of farmer representatives, researchers, representatives from the Department of Agriculture and key partners who are supporting capacity building, irrigation development, pest control and food security.

Project initiatives include:

• a vegetable pack which contains seed and pest control material suitable for 0.1ha of vegetables and comes complete with advice from trained dealers on its use
• a credit system to enable farmers to buy the vegetable packs through the Malawi Rural Finance Corporation
• a local agricultural commodity exchange to create better links between farmers and markets.

Early results are promising with not only an increase in crop production but also in its diversity. New varieties undergoing approval for release onto the Malawian market include 4 cabbages, 4 tomatoes, 2 Amaranthus and an Ethiopian mustard variety. 

Future plans include better post-harvest storage and processing, as well as training in agricultural business approaches.

 Read the full project report (468 KB)  [2]

For more information, contact:
 Enoch Musinguzi  [3]

Note: The project is part of the Sub-Saharan  Africa Challenge Programme for Integrated  Agricultural Research for Development  [4].  Bioversity is coordinating research and development activities among stakeholders involved in the local vegetable value chain.