Improved seeds crucial to increased food security

Malawi has managed to produce food surpluses for three consecutive years because of improved crop varieties, a feat government says is poised to maintain following increased efforts in improved seed variety research initiatives.

Andrew Daudi, Principal Secretary for Agriculture and Food Security, said government has increased research interventions by improving working relationships with the world’s renowned research institutions, notably from Australia .

“Part of the reason we have succeeded with our input subsidy programme is the use of improved varieties of maize seed and other crops. We want to continue injecting more resources into research,” said Daudi.

Malawi has, once again, managed to register a grain surplus of over 2 million metric tonnes, raising the hopes even higher that the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state could again export maize and help bail some of its neighbours out.

Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, has already encouraged Malawi to export some of its surplus maize and bail some of Sadc member states who have less than enough out of the qualms of hunger.

The country’s opposition is, however, against the idea, saying some of the country’s districts have reported less than charitable harvests.