By Pemphero Malimba:
The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) says it aims to strengthen the farming of neglected and underutilised crop species (NUS) to boost food security and the resilience of NUS seed systems in Malawi.
Luanar professor of plant breeding and genetics Moses Maliro, who is also the Seed Systems Project principal investigator, said this during the project’s inception meeting in Lilongwe yesterday.
NUS crops include finger millet, Bambara nuts, pearl millet, sorghum, green gram and mucuna.
Maliro said the project will work with farmers in Chiradzulu, Mzimba, Kasungu and Ntcheu to produce quality seeds of NUS crops and promote food security in their communities.
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“It is important to work with farmers and focus on the crops they have been growing for generations. The key is diversified crop production for different purposes.
“Farmers will be more resilient in terms of household food supply, and resilient households contribute to resilient communities and a resilient national food system,” he said.
Maliro added that most farmers currently use poor-quality seeds because certified seeds are largely unavailable, which reduces yields.
He said the university plans to create a farmer-centred food system that values farmers’ expertise in seed maintenance while introducing improved practices.
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Chitedze Research Station research scientist Lawrent Pungulani welcomed the project, saying it will encourage more farmers to grow NUS crops.
“More farmers will produce these crops because they improve livelihoods. For example, millet is highly nutritious, so promoting it will help address malnutrition,” Pungulani said.
He added that demand for NUS crops is growing among both rural and urban consumers.
One project beneficiary, Chidaona John of Traditional Authority Njolomole in Ntcheu, said earlier phases of the project helped farmers adopt modern practices and achieve higher yields.
“Seeing that finger millet and Bambara nuts are in high demand, we are now producing them on a larger scale and earning income,” John said.
The Seed Systems Project extends a seed systems research project which Luanar has implemented with funding from the McKnight Foundation since December 2019. Funding has been extended to July 2028.
Project collaborators include the Malawi Plant Genetic Resource Centre under the Department of Agricultural Research Services Biodiversity Conservation Initiative and the Department of Agricultural Extension Services through district agriculture offices.
