Africa-Press – Malawi. Local farmers are celebrating the government’s recent ban on the importation of selected goods, saying it has opened up new opportunities for increased production and market dominance—particularly in the root and tuber crop sector.
Chimwemwe Chidzaye, a farmer from Ntchisi, expressed satisfaction with the ban, which came into effect on 14 March 2025, noting that it has empowered local producers to rise and meet domestic demand.
“For a long time, we were losing out to foreign products. But now, we finally have a chance to produce more and meet the needs of our own people,” Chidzaye said.
The prohibition order by the Ministry of Trade and Industry targets a wide range of goods, including locally available fruits and vegetables, maize flour, fresh milk, rice, peanut butter, bottled water, and various household items like plastic utensils and wooden furniture. The move aims to promote local production and protect domestic industries.
In support of this policy shift, Fanny Gondwe, Chairperson of the Root and Tuber Crops Development Trust (RTCDT), echoed Chidzaye’s sentiments during a press briefing held in Lilongwe. She described the development as a “game changer” that could transform not only consumption habits but also drive income generation through local trade and exports.
“This is the time for Malawi to rethink its food security strategies. Root and tuber crops—cassava, sweet potatoes, yams—are not just food crops. They are economic assets,” said Gondwe.
She emphasized the need for greater investment in the root and tuber value chain, urging institutions like the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) and the MEGA Initiative to extend financial and technical support to farmers who are ready to scale up production but lack capacity and resources.
“If institutions can step in with support—credit, training, and infrastructure—farmers will not only feed the nation, they will uplift entire communities through trade and export earnings,” she added.
The RTCDT believes the ban offers a unique window of opportunity for Malawi to break away from overdependence on maize and other imported staples and diversify into more climate-resilient and nutrition-rich crops.
With government policy now aligned with local production, and farmers willing to rise to the challenge, Malawi’s path to food self-sufficiency and rural economic empowerment may very well begin underground—with the roots and tubers that have sustained generations.
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