The Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS), through the Malawi Plant Genetic Resources Centre (MPGRC), will host a Crop and Seed Diversity Fair next Wednesday at Makanda Extension Planning Area under Shire Valley Agriculture Development Division in Chikwawa.
Organized under the theme “Enhancing Conservation, Cultivation, and Commercialization of Neglected High-Value and Adapted Crop Genetic Resources for Food, Nutrition, and Income Resilience,” the event aims to highlight the economic potential of neglected crop varieties and promote their conservation and commercialization.
The fair’s primary goal is to bridge gaps in research and unlock economic opportunities within crop value chains by promoting upscaling and value addition. Additionally, the event aims to promote crop diversification to enhance climate change adaptation, nutrition, and income security.
DARS is one of the government agencies implementing the Shire Valley Transformation Programme (SVTP II), a World Bank-funded initiative focused on agricultural development and commercialization. MPGRC’s role involves safeguarding crop diversity, especially species at risk of extinction due to climate shocks like floods and droughts.
Francis Taurayi Mlewa, Programme Manager of the Shire Valley Agriculture Development Division, highlighted the importance of the fair, stating, “This event is crucial for raising awareness about local landraces (germplasm) that our ancestors relied upon for food and nutrition. It will uncover the untold history of these crops, deeply embedded in the traditions of the Shire Valley. The fair will also help fill the knowledge gap in current generations about crop names and their utilization, such as lipoko and mkate. It will also offer an opportunity for germplasm exchange among farmers, stabilizing crop production.”
Mlewa emphasized the need to conserve local crop landraces that are adapted to the environment and preferred by local communities, noting that this will ensure resilience in the agrifood system amid climate change. He stressed that preserving these landraces will form the foundation for hybrid seed development, ensuring sustainable food production and nutrition security at the national level.
“As SVTP goes into full operation, there is a high risk of losing many local crop landraces, as commercialization will likely focus on varieties with ready markets. Therefore, it is essential to conserve, protect, and promote these threatened landraces for future generations, in line with Malawi’s MW2063 vision, which advocates for intergenerational development,” Mlewa added.
He also pointed out that breeders of hybrid varieties often depend on local crop diversity to develop improved hybrids. Protecting and promoting local landraces is critical for the sustainable development of new crop varieties, which will enhance food and nutrition security.
Dr. Nolipher Mponya, Lead Scientist at MPGRC, noted that crop diversity has already been collected from farmers’ fields across Malawi. Some of these crops are now under ex situ conservation for breeding programs, while others are conserved on farms by local farmers in the Shire Valley.
“These crops hold significant commercial value, are well-adapted to local conditions, and are nutrient-dense, making them ideal for crop improvement programs and enhancing dietary diversity,” Mponya said.
Adrian Masebo, an Agricultural Commercialization Specialist with SVTP, underscored the importance of commercialization, particularly in light of large-scale irrigation development in the Shire Valley. He mentioned plans to establish an industrial park to process agricultural products for local and international markets, which could strengthen regional food security and integration into the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
“To achieve this, we must evaluate crop varieties that are high-yielding and resilient to climate change,” Masebo explained.
MPGRC emphasized the importance of developing robust seed systems to maximize the potential of high-value crops. The SVTP is supporting the characterization and evaluation of these crops for release as commercial varieties. DARS has already introduced several varieties that need wider promotion among farmers, many of whom are organized into cooperatives.
The fair will bring together farmers from crop diversity conservation groups, 13 cooperatives under the SVTP, agro-dealers, processors, off takers small businesses, seed companies, researchers, policymakers, and civil society groups. It aims to establish a direct interface between adaptive research and commercialization, while fostering connections between cooperatives and market players.
Through this event, farmer cooperatives will be introduced to improved crop value chains for commercialization and linked to key stakeholders, agro-dealers, and processors. The fair will also enhance farmers’ understanding of where to access essential inputs and services, ultimately boosting productivity and market access.
