ZODIAK ONLINE
ArtBridge House, Area 47
Sect. 5, P/Bag 312
Lilongwe, Malawi
Sect. 5, P/Bag 312
Lilongwe, Malawi
BAGMA Urges APM to Prioritize AIP, Megafarms, NEEF for Agri-Transformation
Business Agriculture Malawi—BAGMA—has urged President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s administration to prioritize continuity and innovation in the agricultural sector, saying this is key to achieving the Malawi 2063 Vision’s main pillar of agricultural productivity and commercialization.
The youth-led farmers’ organization, established in 2018, says government must sustain and strengthen key agricultural programmes such as the Affordable Inputs Programme, the Megafarms initiative, and the National Economic Empowerment Fund.
BAGMA Executive Director Blessings Malefula told Zodiak Online Monday that while the Affordable Inputs Programme remains crucial for ensuring food security among vulnerable Malawians, it needs restructuring to improve efficiency and impact.
“We still need the AIP to cushion the vulnerable, but it must be strategically scaled down and properly managed so that other sectors of agriculture receive adequate support. This will help balance welfare and productivity, ensuring no one is left behind," he suggested.
Malefula has also called for the revival and expansion of the Megafarms Programme, describing it as vital for commercial farming, job creation, and export growth.
He said: “Megafarms must not remain a dream. They should be fully operational in all districts and integrated into irrigation and livestock systems.”
He has since proposed the merging of the Megafarms Support Unit and the Greenbelt Authority into one strong institution to drive large-scale production.
The organization further appealed for continued funding through the National Economic Empowerment Fund and similar institutions to support emerging farmers with affordable loans, while also decentralizing agricultural financing programmes like MAIIC, AGCOM, and TRADE to all districts.
BAGMA believes that revitalizing agricultural financing and production systems, alongside infrastructure and agro-industrial development, will put Malawi on a solid path to achieving the Malawi 2063 Vision.
Meanwhile, the government has yet to comment on the calls.
