Malawi

Malawi is located in southern Africa, east of Zambia. The country’s total land area is 94,080 sq km, with an additional 24,000 sq km covered by water from Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long. In comparison, Malawi is slightly smaller than the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S., and about the size of North Korea. The country’s climate is sub-tropical, with both a rainy and dry season. Of the total land area, nearly 21 percent is utilized for cultivated crops, with just over one percent of the total area dedicated to permanent crops such as fruit- and nut-bearing trees. Environmental issues include deforestation, land degradation and water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes. Malawi’s population is approximately 15 million, with 53 percent living in poverty. Only 38 percent of the nation’s population is considered part of the labor force, and 90 percent of that workforce is dedicated to agriculture. The remaining 10 million citizens rely on subsistence farming for survival. Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural. This sector accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90 percent of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to the country’s short-term growth. Tobacco represents 53 percent of the nation’s estimated $912 million in exports. In recent years, although continuing to face infrastructure and economic development challenges, the Malawian Government has heightened its fiscal responsibilities, and was an early adopter of voucher programs to stimulate agricultural intensification. In December 2007, the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. Other agricultural products from Malawi include sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts and livestock. The East and Southern Africa Division is responsible for IFDC activities in Malawi.

Currnet IFDC Projects in Malawi

  • NEPAD-FAO Fertilizer Subsidy Study, 2011-2012
    The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) has commissioned a study on fertilizer subsidy programs in eight countries in Africa, with technical guidance and financial support provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and IFDC. The study will be an overview of different subsidy models, thus providing a menu of options for countries considering subsidies or wanting to alter ongoing subsidy programs. The study focuses on fertilizer subsidy programs in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia.

DONORS: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Recent IFDC Projects in Malawi

  • COMESA Regional Agricultural Inputs Program (COMRAP), 2010-2011
    COMRAP responded to rising food prices by increasing agricultural productivity through improved access to finance, training, fertilizer and seeds. Over the course of its implementation, the project targeted three million smallholder farmers in Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. COMRAP was implemented by the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA).

          DONOR: The European Union Food Facility Program



 

Malawi Information

Articles

IFDC Core Competency: Gender Equity is Key to Feeding the Hungry (Taken from IFDC Report Volume 36, No 4)



Over 4,500 Agro-Dealers Trained Through COMRAP Project (Taken from IFDC Report Volume 36, No 2)



An IFDC Core Competency: Fertilizer Voucher Programs (Taken from IFDC Report Volume 36, No.1)



New Agro-Dealer Development Project: COMESA Regional Agricultural Inputs Program (COMRAP) (Taken from IFDC Report Volume 35, No.3)