Smallholder farmers in Lilongwe are beginning to reap more value from their harvests, thanks to a climate-smart initiative dubbed Reducing Post-Harvest Food Loss through Climate Resilient Solutions (RE-GAIN).
The five-year project, being implemented by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Malawi with funding from the Green Climate Fund, is promoting climate-resilient storage, grain handling and drying technologies to help farmers preserve more of their produce and increase household incomes.
Speaking during a media engagement held at Thawale Extension Planning Area at Traditional Authority Masula in Lilongwe, farmers shared how the project is transforming their post-harvest management through access to improved storage facilities, hermetic bags, tarpaulins for maize drying and modern maize shelling equipment.
One of the beneficiary farmers, Brenda Batoni, a lead farmer, said the interventions have improved produce handling and reduced the time and labour required for shelling maize.
“We are now able to shell maize faster and store it properly, which helps us maintain quality and gives us time to focus on other productive activities,” she said.
Representing the Lilongwe West District Agriculture Office, Extension Methodologies Officer Agnes Lungu said the Ministry of Agriculture has intensified training and awareness campaigns to encourage farmers to adopt improved post-harvest practices.
She said increased access to hermetic bags, tarpaulins and modern maize shellers has significantly improved the way farmers handle and protect their harvests.
Speaking during the engagement, AGRA Malawi Country Director Eluphy Nyirenda said the project is addressing climate-related challenges affecting smallholder farmers, particularly the significant losses that occur after harvest.
“This project is helping to reduce losses during storage, processing and bringing in private sector players to scale up local innovations that are helping reduce food waste,” said Nyirenda.
The RE-GAIN initiative is being implemented in the Lilongwe, Kasungu, Balaka and Mzuzu Agricultural Development Divisions (ADDs) and aims to reduce food losses among 76,000 targeted farmers by at least 35 percent.
The five-year initiative valued at $10.8 million (approximately K21 billion) is led by AGRA Malawi in partnership with the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM), Opportunity International and African Fertiliser and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), among a number of stakeholders.
RE-GAIN Programme Coordinator at NASFAM, Stewart Mapemba, said the project has already recorded encouraging levels of adoption among farmers.
He adds that such interventions are being expanded across the country using media platforms and community radio stations to reach more farmers with information on post-harvest management.
AFAP Project Officer for the RE-GAIN Project, Hopkins Mwanza, said subsidised access to post-harvest equipment is delivering benefits beyond food preservation.
“Some farmers are now generating additional income by hiring out maize shelling machines to others in their communities. This is improving their economic status while also promoting wider adoption of the technologies,” he said.
The project is also being implemented in six other countries in Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
