By Patricia Kapulula
Lilongwe, Mana: A study conducted by a United Kingdom (UK) based economic think tank, Legatum Institute, has recommended an agriculture enhancement productivity through a mindset shift from subsidising subsistence agriculture, through the Agriculture Input Programme (AIP), to opening up space for smallholder farmers and incentivising agricultural productivity.
The study titled ‘Pathways to Prosperity: Malawi Case Study’ was launched in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
Legatum Institute Director of Policy, Stephen Brien, told journalists in an interview after the launch that agriculture, being Malawi’s critical sector of the economy, requires increased productivity and commercialisation hence the need to critically look at agriculture subsidies, through the AIP, in order to achieve increased productivity and commercialisation.
He said the idea of supporting farmers to increase productivity is an important one and as such efforts should be put in place to support agriculture cooperatives and associations to ensure long term productivity.
“We are recommending changing the AIP from subsidy based to extension services for the subsistence farming population. Our view is that of focusing more on extension services and commercialisation as a better long term instead of subsidies,” he said.
He, therefore, encouraged Government and relevant authorities to plan a phased transition in subsidies as the country moves towards extension services.
Recently, some quarters called for an exit strategy for the AIP and that government should put in deliberate policies and mechanisms in agriculture.
National Planning Commission (NPC) Development Planning Specialist, Salim Ahmed Mapila, hailed the report saying it was prepared based on the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) development plan and is looking at the catalytic intervention that have been detailed in the plan.
“The report suggests and recommends from an evidence point of view the things that we should front as a country, the things that we should place an extra emphasis on as we go into the next stage of implementing the development plan,” said Mapila.
Political Scientist and Chairperson of Institute for Policy Interaction (IPA), Nandin Patel, described the report as balanced and a good reflection of democratic and development processes so far which emphasises very well what is required to move forward with the MW2063.
