National Bank of Malawi has partnered the Centre for Agricultural Transformation (CAT) to revitalise banana production in Thyolo and Mulanje districts through a K90 million ‘clean fields’ project.
National Bank Chief Executive Officer, Harold Jiya, highlighted the bank’s recognition of the crop’s importance to the nation’s economic growth.
Jiya made the remarks on Thursday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two entities in Lilongwe.
CAT Executive Director, Macleod Nkhoma, described the project as a milestone for both economic advancement and community welfare. Nkhoma said CAT will support the project by equipping farmers with the necessary technical skills and expertise.
He added that Malawi currently loses $12 million annually, importing 20,000 metric tonnes of bananas from neighbouring countries.
Mathias Nkhoma, Agriculture Development Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Crop Development, added that the initiative aligns with Malawi’s Vision 2063 Pillar 1 for Agricultural Productivity and Commercialisation.
