Malawi’s horticulture sector is experiencing remarkable growth, with fruit and vegetable exports showing substantial increases over the past decade, as revealed by Malawi Trade and Investment Centre (Mitc) Chief Executive Officer, Paul Kwengwere.
It has transpired that the contribution of edible fruits to Malawi’s export portfolio has more than doubled to approximately three percent in 2023, up from one percent before 2017.
The vegetable sector, including roots and tubers, has shown even more impressive growth, with its export share surging to 10 percent in 2023 from 2.5 percent in 2010.
In a WhatsApp response to a questionnaire, Kwengwere said Malawi Mangoes is leading the transformation of the sector with a modern processing facility that handles over 3,000 metric tonnes of mangoes per season.
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He added that the company exports more than 90 percent of its produce to markets including India, the European Union, South Africa, Kuwait and the United Kingdom.
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Kwengwere further said that new players are also making what he described as significant strides.
For instance, Inosselia Agro and the Greenbelt Authority, through their greenhouse farming initiatives, have exported 300 kilogrammes of fresh cherry tomatoes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and approximately 70 tonnes of bell peppers to South Africa by February 2024.
However, Kwengwere acknowledged that meeting the growing export demand remains a challenge.
“As a country, we must focus on strengthening the supply side by building production capacity, ensuring product consistency and meeting export-grade quality standards.
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“I am optimistic about the sector’s prospects as we are seeing increased involvement from companies like Inosselia Agro, Malawi Mangoes and Thyolo Flowers.
“The government is exploring measures to enhance competitiveness, including advocating for affordable freight charges and considering the acquisition of a national cargo plane,” Kwengwere said.
In an interview yesterday, chairperson of the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, William Mwale, said that the figures could be much higher if horticultural farmers in border districts engaged in informal cross-border trade were formalised.
“I am not so sure about the figures; however, I know of farmers taking their products to Zambia in Mchinji and to Mozambique in our border districts informally.
“These farmers need to be embraced and empowered to formalise their trade, which could then be accounted for in the country’s exports,” Mwale said.
