Find Agriculture expertise in Malawi

Industry

Agriculture is fundamental to the economy and livelihood of Malawi, with around 11 million people engaged in subsistence farming (2012). Agricultural yield is vital to the country, as agriculture, forestry and fisheries contribute 30% of GDP and account for 90% of exports (2010). Only around a third of land is suitable for cultivation due to the mountains, forests and rough pastures, yet, taking all aspects into account, agricultural land constitutes 59.1% of total land area (2009). The majority of the people farm on a small scale although there is also a substantial commercial farming sector. Small-scale farmers usually have less than a hectare of land, and are limited by declining soil fertility and limited access to credit services.

The main cash crops are coffee, cotton, tea and tobacco. Other produce includes sugar cane, rubber, macadamia nuts, soya, rice and maize, the country’s staple food.  The government has subsidised improved seed varieties and fertiliser since 2005, which resulted in several years of surplus maize production. Animals are not farmed on a large scale. The commercial farming sector is largely concentrated on large estates in the south and around Lilongwe, and focus on tobacco production. Tobacco alone accounts for more than 60% of export earnings and takes up around 4% of farmland, generating US$874,904,000 in 2010. The liberalisation of the industry in the 1990s saw steady increases in profits for growers, alongside a significant growth in smallholder tobacco production, placing Malawi at the forefront of tobacco production at a global level. The next most important cash crop is tea, which brought in US$120,878,000 in 2010, retaining Malawi’s position as the second largest producer in Africa. The country’s main export destination is South Africa, followed by Egypt, Zimbabwe, the United States, the Netherlands and Germany. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is responsible for agriculture at a federal level.

Agriculture organisations in Malawi
?Nature's Gift Ltd
Agora Ltd
Agri Hort Supplies Ltd
Agricultural Research and Extension Trust
Angling Society of Malawi
Aqua Sports & Safaris
Bakhresa Grain Milling (Malawi) Ltd
Chitedze Research Station Library
Countryside Ltd
Demeter Agriculture Ltd
Farmers World
International Timbers Ltd
Malawi Amateur Boxing Federation
Malawi Athletics Federation
Malawi Badminton Federation
Malawi College of Accountancy
Malawi Equestrian Federation
Malawi Fertilizer Co.
Malawi Football Federation
Malawi Hockey Federation
Malawi Mountain Club
Malawi National Council Sports
Malawi Swimming Federation
Malawi Table Tennis Association
Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security
Ministry of Sports & Culture
Ministry of Sports and Culture
Mulanje Mountain Chief Forester
Museum of Malawi
National Archives of Malawi
National Library Service
Ndirade Sailing Club
Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association of Malawi
Pannar Seed (MW) LTD
Rab Processors Ltd
Sable Farming Co. Ltd
Salima
Seed - Tech
Seed Co. Malawi Ltd
Tea Research Foundation (Central Africa)
University of Malawi Main Library
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