Ngwenya ties Malawi’s success in agriculture to govt subsidies

Ngwenya ties Malawi’s success in agriculture to govt subsidies
By Mutale Kapekele
Sat 22 May 2010, 04:00 CAT

COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya says Malawi’s agriculture is thriving due to the government fertiliser and farming inputs subsidies. Ngweya clarified that Malawi was not using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) to improve its agricultural yields.

He said Malawi was using high breed seeds that were not GMO to increase their agricultural yields from 850 kilogrammes per acre previously to 2.2 tonnes per acre after the improved seeds were introduced.

During the Alliance for Commodity Trade for Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), the specialised agency of COMESA, stakeholders meeting last week, Ngwenya urged member countries to emulate Malawi that had improved its agricultural yields through the use of improved seed.

He said using hybrid seed would increase threefold the agricultural yields in the region and help to reduce poverty levels especially for the rural poor.

Ngwenya also said member countries would adopt under the COMESA, East African Community (EAC) and SADC tripartite arrangement, the seed harmonisation seed regulations.