By Pemphero Malimba:
National Food Reserve Agency (NRFA) has launched its strategic plan, which will be implemented for a seven-year period between 2023 and 2030.
The strategic plan has four pillars which are strategic food reserve and infrastructural development, financial management and resource mobilisation, human capital development and governance, stakeholder engagement and internal processes.
Speaking on Wednesday after presiding over the launch in Lilongwe, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale said the strategic plan is in line with the country’s long-term aspirations under the Malawi 2063 blueprint.
He said the plan is also aligning itself with the Ministry of Agriculture’s agenda of promoting crop diversification.
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“As the country continues to develop specifically aligning itself towards the Malawi 2063, strategic documents for different institutions especially those under the ministry of agriculture have to align to that as well that is why the launch of the strategic plan that we have done you will see that the four pillars under that are geared to make agriculture commercialisation, mechanisation and to increase production.
“Diversifying the food that they will be keeping is also aligning to what the ministry is doing to focus on diversification in terms of production but also what people eat. Climate change is forcing us to move to that direction so we are positioning ourselves as a ministry of agriculture through the national food reserve agency to take care of those issues as well,” Kawale said.
NRFA Board Chairperson Denis Kalekeni said the strategic plan will help them to shift from prioritising maize and start incorporating other crops.
He also said the strategic plan will help to prevent rotting of food in the silos.
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“The main thing is that we should migrate from the culture of only looking at grain as good for the nation but also cover other food items that are available in our country such as rice, millet, Sorghum and many others. Through this implementation we would like also to ensure that members of staff for NRFA and all the stakeholders are able to work together and partner in ensuring that the food sufficiency is achieved.
“Since 2020, there has been no rotting of maize in the silos and the strategic plan is placing emphasis on maintenance of quality to ensure that all the food that has been procured and stocked in the reserves should be able to reach targeted personnel in good condition,” Kalekeni said.
The Strategic Grain Reserves’ purpose was to ensure a three-month lead time for additional food supply organization and receipt, reflecting a strategy to improve access to and distribution of maize for emergency and regular needs.
