By Chawezi Tembo-Zomba
In a country where climate change is no longer a future threat but a present reality, agribusiness is proving that survival depends on adaptation and that resilience can be profitable.
Amid this changing climate, agribusiness is emerging as a lifeline for farmers ready to adapt. Holyace Kholowa, proprietor of Muwemi Farms, sees farming not just as planting and harvesting, but as a strategic investment.
Kholowa has shifted from subsistence farming to a climate-smart, diversified model mixing crops with livestock to spread risk. If one venture fails due to drought or floods, others provide stability and income.
“Farmers are, therefore, encouraged to spread their nets wider in agribusiness and brace up for the drastic climate change which can negatively affect their crop and animal production,” said Kholowa.
Across Zomba, erratic rains, prolonged dry spells and sudden floods have become the new normal. For farmers like Mphatso Nkalodzwa, the unpredictability is daunting.
“As one of the farmers, I have always been gripped with fear of climate change which poses a great threat to heavily invest in agribusiness ventures,” Nkalodzwa said.
Despite these fears, agricultural experts stress that retreat is not the solution. Chief Agricultural Officer for Zomba Agriculture Office, Misheck Chawala, notes that agribusiness, combined with climate-smart practices can build both resilience and profitability.
“Climate change should not restrict farmers from venturing into the farming business instead to disperse such fears and invest more so that they can be self reliant and productive in their communities,” spurred Chawala.
Agriculture underpins about 3.8% of Malawi’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and supports more than 80% of the population, yet less than 5% of arable land is irrigated, leaving most farmers entirely dependent on unpredictable rainfall, making the sector exceptionally vulnerable to climate shocks such as droughts and floods, which have increased in frequency and intensity over the past decades, threatening food security and rural livelihoods across the country.
