Andrew Viano is the national winner in the Radio Category and was also previously named the regional winner in the same category earlier in the month in Tanzania.

Cassim Aubi was the runner up in the Radio Category.

The awards were announced in Salima on Monday and the winners got monetary rewards.

Other winners were Benard Ngege of MBC, national winner Television Category; Gift Kaimira of GDTv, runner up (TV); Richard Chirombo of Times Group, overall winner Print Category with Meclina Chirwa of Timveni whose story appeared on Africa Brief as the runner up.

The awards are locally managed by the National Commission for Science and Technology and aims at promoting professional science reporting focusing on agriculture biotechnology.

Viano said he wrote his story from a personal experience after the soybean crop which he planted last year got attacked by soybean rust.

His story focused on how biotechnology can help deal with the disease using what is called gene editing.

Lyson Kampira, the national OFAB coordinator said the awards, now the second year, have promoted agriculture biotechnology reporting in Malawi.

Malawi is one of the ten-member states of OFAB which, among others, include Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana and Ethiopia.