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Irrigation Development (April 2024)

1. CONTEXT

1.1 History of Malawi's Irrigation Development

Malawi has abundant land and water (surface and groundwater) resources that are not current constraints for irrigation development. Malawi has 407,862 ha of potential irrigatable land which is roughly 4% of the total land area. As of 2023, out of 407,862 ha of irrigatable land, only about 148,850 ha have been developed, representing 36.5% of the potential irrigatable land. Of this, about 80,427 ha is under the private sector and 68,423 ha is under smallholder irrigation. There are many perennial rivers and the Lake Malawi-Shire River system covers the whole length of the country. The dry areas have good groundwater yields such that dams could be constructed to capture excess surface runoff during the rainy season. As of 2018, Malawi's total renewable water resources stood at 17.28 km3, and only 1.25% (2.1 km3) is used for irrigation. Historically, Malawi has been vulnerable to food insecurity due to over-dependence on rain-fed farming. There are five distinct eras in Malawi’s irrigation history:

  1. Government-initiated Irrigation Scheme era (late 1960 – 1970s): The Government constructed 16 bureaucratic irrigation schemes along the Lakeshore, around Lake Chirwa and in the Lower Shire. The Government was involved at all stages of rice scheme development from the design to marketing services centrally controlled through ADMARC. It was donor-led by the World Bank (WB), Danida, and the African Development Bank (AfDB). However, a socio-economic feasibility study observed that most rice farmers did not make money due to the low prices offered by ADMARC (Krogh and Mkandawire, 1990).
  2. Self-help era (the 1980s): The untenable large-scale Government-initiated scheme became bureaucratic, and costly to run and maintain. As a result, leading donors stepped back. The Government then engaged communities to contribute labour and construction materials and assisted farmers with the design of intake works and main canals. However, construction quality was poor due to limited resources.
  3. Irrigation scheme management era (the 1990s): The Government struggled to maintain and run existing irrigation schemes such that the Danish International Development Agency, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the African Development Bank were approached to assist in scheme rehabilitation. Communities received transferred schemes and farmers were trained in scheme management, marketing, and group dynamics. Alas, not all 16 schemes were rehabilitated.
  4. Irrigation for Food Security era (2000 – 2009): The Government viewed small-scale irrigation as a solution to the frequent droughts and lack of food security due to climate change. The Government and NGOs invested financial resources towards small-scale irrigation schemes to build multiple irrigation technologies. The focus was on food security whilst other equally important goals such as market linkages and value chains developed received limited attention.
  5. The Greenbelt Initiative era (2010 – present): The Government wants to consolidate food security gains while addressing commercial production constraints. The plan is to climate-proof agricultural investments to create wealth among Malawians.

Based on the above historical practice, it was evident that there was a mismatch between the Government and farmers’ objectives for promoting irrigation farming. The Government solely focused on food security whilst farmers desired to increase their household income through market-driven approaches as well as address food insecurity. Noteworthy, Malawi has land and water resources that should be utilised for irrigation farming which is a potential avenue to attain food security and promote commercialization.

1.2 Current Situation of Irrigation Development in Malawi

Irrigation is increasingly being called upon to help stabilise and grow food and water security in the face of multiple crises; these crises include climate change, but also recent global food and energy price crises. Irrigation has increased food production and productivity, therefore increasing the availability and access to food by lowering the prices of key staple crops, including maize and rice. Irrigation has also been essential for the production of other key crops, such as sugarcane, maize, fruits and vegetables as well as cotton.

Irrigation development in the Mw2063 strategy falls under Pillar 1 (Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization). MIP-1 of Mw2063 focuses on investments in sustainable irrigation systems to optimally harness the productivity and commercialization drive while averting adverse climatic variability. A core advisory panel member is responsible for envisioning irrigation development targets to achieve the milestone of 60% by 2030, then 83% by 2040, 85% by 2042 and then 100% by 2050 to 2063. The mission is to see Malawians no longer dependent on rainfall or subsistence-level agriculture (crops, aquaculture and livestock) thus ensuring poverty reduction, and an increase in household income and employment. This will build towards national food security and a surplus for the manufacturing industry to process into finished products for import substitution and exports.

To determine whether it is worth undertaking an irrigation project, the Government has pledged to conduct a cost-benefit analysis, especially in cases where projects are being financed by loans. All this underscores the Government’s acknowledgement that irrigation development is one of the key investments contributing to agricultural productivity and commercialization. Nonetheless, broad investments in sustainable irrigation systems and technologies shall need to be prioritized especially now as adverse climatic conditions continue to affect rain-fed agriculture. In addition, there is a need for an expansion of irrigation development objectives to include wealth and employment creation, trade and economic growth at all socioeconomic levels.

1.3 Policy and Legislative Environment for Irrigation Development in Malawi

1.3.1 Irrigation Policy (NIP 2016) and Draft Irrigation Policy (2024)

The National Irrigation Policy (NIP) guides the implementation and provision of irrigation-related goods, works and services to all stakeholders in Malawi on a five-year cycle. The policy is necessary for the Government to work to attain food security and economic growth through the transformation of farmer organizations from subsistence to commercial farming in line with Mw 2063 and the National Export Strategy.

The NIP 2016 aimed to address critical issues affecting irrigation development including spatial and temporal water shortages, customary land tenure disputes, and poor operation and infrastructure maintenance. The National Policy emphasises the importance of incorporating irrigation for food security and commercial purposes. A provision for establishing an Irrigation Fund and developing linkages with stakeholders was made.

The National Policy highlights key factors affecting irrigation development in Malawi such as inadequate financial resource mobilization, high development costs (i.e., US$9,000 to US$15,000 per hectare), un-harmonized irrigation development initiatives, environmental degradation, customary land disputes and limited participation of stakeholders. According to the NIP (2016), 6,000 ha out of 20,000 ha have had feasibility studies conducted and scheme designs prepared. In addition, 2,300 ha have been rehabilitated. However, there have been no matching grants utilised for the operation and maintenance of smallholder irrigation schemes out of the targeted 300 grants.

In the years 2021-2023, the Government commissioned a review of NIP (2016) and the development of its successor policy. The draft successor NIP was finalised and validated in January 2023 and on 8 April 2024, the NIP was approved by Cabinet hence came into effect.

1.3.2 Irrigation Laws in Malawi

  1. Irrigation Act 2001

    The Act makes provision for the sustainable development and management of irrigation, protection of the environment from irrigation-related degradations, and establishment of the National Irrigation Board. The Act needed to be revised to reflect the Mw2063 strategy and current economic landscape. Among others as per the Act, the Government needs to fulfil its pledge to establish a National Irrigation Board that will solely focus on sustainable irrigation around development, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation.

  2. Irrigation Bill (Validated in May 2022)

    The development of the Irrigation Bill as a legal instrument for the effectiveness of irrigation development was applauded. The bill was recognized as one of the critical responsive regulatory frameworks to regulate the required reforms to effectively deliver Malawi's 2063 aspirations. The draft Bill was validated in May 2022 and stakeholders made input to improve the legislation. Among others, key recommendations included the following:

    • The regulatory role of Government structures and the heavy bureaucracy associated with the development of irrigation schemes are likely to reduce the interest of the private sector in irrigation development.
    • The legislation was short in considering the irrigation scheme as part of a broader ecosystem, which is worrisome. It is important to consider irrigation schemes as part of a catchment area.
    • Operationalization of the Irrigation Fund (established under the 2001 Act) has not been done and this raises questions as to how the revised Irrigation Act will ensure that it is activated.

The bill was then finalised and submitted to the cabinet in 2023. On 8th April 2024, the Cabinet approved the Bill such that it will likely be tabled in Parliament for approval during the next sitting of parliament in August/September 2024.

2. ACTIONS TAKEN AND LESSONS LEARNED BY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

2.1 Actions Taken in Supporting Irrigation Development

Development Partners have demonstrated a commitment to supporting irrigation development through various projects. In the current database, total DP funding for irrigation scheme development and related studies amounts to US$322.03 million. The table below presents key irrigation projects.

Table 1: Irrigation Projects/Components and Funding

No.ProjectBudget (US$ Million)Value Chains
1Shire Valley Transformation Project (SVTP-I) of the WB, AfDB, and GEF

[2018 – 2022]		US$234.59Increase agricultural productivity and commercialization, and improve the sustainable management and utilisation of natural resources.
2Shire Valley Transformation Program (SVTP-II) of the WB, AfDB and GEF

[2023 – 2031]		US$134Increase agricultural productivity and commercialization, and improve the sustainable management and utilisation of natural resources.
3Programme for Rural Irrigation Development (PRIDE) of IFAD, GEF, ASAP, ASAP+

[2016 – 2026]		US$125.9Develop new irrigation schemes to enable smallholder farmers to transition from low to high-value crops and from subsistence to commercial farming.
  • IFAD has constructed/is constructing the following schemes: Chipofya Scheme in Rumphi, Marko and Mafinga Schemes in Chitipa, Mzenga Scheme in Nkhatabay, Mlooka and Matoponi Schemes in Zomba, Lingoni Scheme in Machinga, Wowo Scheme in Phalombe, Dowa Dambo in Dowa.
  • IFAD is also rehabilitating the following schemes- Hara, Wovwe, Ukanga and Chonanga Schemes in Karonga.
  • Interventions include to development and empowerment of Water User Associations; support soil and water conservation.
4KULIMA (Irrigation component) Promoting Farming in Malawi of EU

[2016 – 2023]		US$2.0Foster sustainable agricultural growth to enhance household income, employment, and food security.
5Data Collection Survey for Irrigation Developments in Malawi of JICA

[2023 – not specified]		US$ 0.133The study is to identify the feasibility of supporting irrigation scheme development
6TRADE Programme of IFAD, OFID

[2019 – 2026]		US$ 0.14Promote commercialization of producer groups around irrigation schemes through the Agricultural Commercialization Innovation Fund (ACIF) window
Estimated Total InvestmentUS$ 496.76
Source: DCAFS Database, April 2024

2.2 Lessons Learned by the DCAFS

The DCAFS have drawn the following informative lessons in driving irrigation development in a coordinated fashion.

  1. Feasibility studies: Feasibility studies are being independently conducted by various stakeholders across the private and public sectors. Feasibility studies into how irrigation schemes could be developed and implemented, specific locations, nominated high-value crops, marketing initiatives, monitoring and evaluation processes that could contribute to economic development. It is therefore important that information should be shared across the board for stakeholders to actively and fully engage in conversations to facilitate collaborative efforts.
  2. Cost Benefit Analysis: The Government mentioned conducting a cost-benefit analysis on irrigation development in line with Malawi 2063. To date, there is no evidence that this cost-benefit analysis has been done. Therefore, it is necessary to run it as soon as possible for all stakeholders across the public and private sectors to gain a clear image of the required financial and non-financial resources as well as determine whether it is economically worth undertaking an irrigation project. This is very critical if the Mw2063 irrigation targets are to be achieved.
  3. III. Active Dialogue between Government and Farmer Associations: Active dialogue between Government and farmer associations, from smallholder farmers to commercial farmers, must occur for a reconciliation of mismatched agricultural objectives as illustrated by historical irrigation scheme data. Irrigation schemes, either developed by the Government or Donors or both are susceptible to not being fully utilised to their full potential or being abandoned by farmers if it does not align with the current needs of the farmers. For example, as reported in the media on 12th January 2024, farmers in Nsanje abandoned the Ntolongo Irrigation Scheme to create a situation of food shortage to get assistance through food handouts. This highlights the need to entrench the spirit of self-development in the farmers through supported irrigation schemes.
  4. Harmonisation: Stakeholders across the public and private sectors need to collaborate to pool financial and non-financial resources together in one pot to achieve 100% irrigation development of the 407,862 ha of irrigatable land in Malawi as per the Mw2063 target. Since the late 1960s, Malawi has witnessed several irrigation schemes develop and be deployed in the society. However, there are very few schemes that have stood the test of time. For current irrigation and future schemes to stand the duration of time, harmonization is crucial for long-lasting social and economic benefits to Malawian citizens across present and future generations.
  5. Investment in Irrigation Development: Historically, most irrigation investments are associated with small-scale rather than large-scale schemes. Government focus has been primarily placed on micro irrigation schemes rather than large-scale investment-intensive infrastructure. Investment, both financially and non-financially, in irrigation development has largely been donor-driven. This calls the need for the Government to take a proactive step in prioritising irrigation objectives in annual budget resources across relevant Government Ministries. The Malawi 2063 strategy is a positive starting point because the Government can map out investments spreading over a 43-year timeline which will make it more affordable as a percentage of GDP. It is believed that it would be possible to keep the necessary investments between 20-30% of GDP against the current allocation of less than 2-4%.

3. ROLLING TALKING POINTS

A. AN APPLAUD BY THE DCAFS

The DCAFS would like to applaud the Government on the following:
  1. Mw2063 Pillars: Irrigation development under primary pillar one of agricultural productivity and commercialisation in Mw2063 demonstrates the Government’s commitment to providing its citizens with irrigation infrastructure to ensure food security and agricultural commercialisation. It encourages other stakeholders to take a closer look at available resources, such as land and water, and actively engage in tackling the issue of irrigation development to fully utilise natural and human resources.
  2. Development Cooperation: There are development cooperation projects between the Government and development partners benefiting irrigation infrastructure and farmers’ livelihood in the country. Table 1 above outlines such applaudable irrigation projects in Malawi.

B. CONCERNS AND ENCOURAGEMENT

From the above observations, DCAFS would like to bring to the Government’s attention the following concerns and recommendations to accelerate irrigation development in Malawi.
  1. Policy and Regulatory Environment
    1. Irrigation spans a range of fields across the public sector. A holistic approach is required for the participation of many Government institutions covering agriculture, land, water, infrastructure, transport, commerce and trade finance, environment, training and community development; as well as farmer organisations, NGOs and the private sector. Unfortunately, due to financial and human resource limitations, most of the relevant institutions struggle to fulfil their mandates.
    2. The gap is further exacerbated by frequent organisational and management changes, lack of coordination between institutions, poorly defined lines of responsibility, and in some areas, deficiencies in the policy and regulatory framework. The diffusion of responsibility for irrigation development among several institutions needs to be addressed. The Water Sector-Wide Approach (WaSWAp) was created to improve coordination among and between institutions in the irrigation sub-sector, but the practice and impact of such an arrangement are yet to be realized.
    3. A supportive policy, regulatory, and legal environment is essential for successful irrigation governance. Key aspects include financial transparency, equitable water allocation, dispute resolution, collective decision-making, cost allocation, and a mutually beneficial relationship with relevant agencies. The DCAFS encourage the Government to accelerate the finalization and approval of the Irrigation Bill (Amendment) that was validated in May 2022. Thereafter, the DCAFS would like to encourage the Government to speed up the development and gazetting of the regulations to see effective implementation of the Irrigation Act (amendment).
  2. Investment in Irrigation Development in Malawi:
    1. According to the Irrigation Master Plan (2015-2035), an indicative financing framework shows the expected contributions of the Government, Development Partners, the Private Sector and beneficiaries. The Government’s contribution is projected to increase from 5% of the cost in Phase I to 10% by Phase III. On the other hand, the contribution of Development Partners is expected to be around US$1.3 billion, decreasing from over 70% of the total in Phase I to around 52% in Phase III. The table below outlines the financing framework of the Irrigation Master Plan.
      Table 1: Financing Framework of the Irrigation Master Plan
      FinancierTotal Cost (US$ Million)% of Total
      Phase I
      (2015-2020)      		Phase II
      (2021-2025)      		Phase III
      (2026-2035)      		Total
      The Government of Malawi255416924810
      Development Partners3613425651,26852
      Private Sector7912133153222
      Beneficiaries (farmers)396926837615
      Total Irrigation Master Plan5045861,3332,423100
      % of the Total212455100
    2. The Malawi Government and partners have not allocated significant amounts of its budgetary resources as per the Irrigation Master Plan. The Government’s expenditure on irrigation has been below 20% of the total Agriculture budget with the exceptional in the year 2022/2023 when irrigation allocation was 35.4% (about US$161.1 million) mainly due to the significant increase of the Development Budget Part I from Shire Valley Irrigation Scheme. The actual budget allocations were MK27.6 million in 2020/21; MK87.36 million in 2021/22 and MK161.1 million in 2022/23. At this level of investment, it would take 47 years to achieve the 20-year Irrigation Master Plan (2015-2052) targets. It is important to acknowledge that irrigation development requires a high upfront investment capital requirement. This calls for unlocking Irrigation Investments by the Government, Development Partners and Private Sector players. Among others, there is a need to design institutional arrangements and financing mechanisms for irrigation; harnessing the Public-Private Partnerships through among others assessing and managing fiscal risks; and developing bankable projects.

  3. Cost of Irrigation Development in Malawi
    1. According to the Irrigation Master Plan (2015-2035) the total implementation cost is approximately US$2.0 billion over 20 years. Initially, investments will be lower in the early years and gradually expand as the rate of development accelerates. In Malawi, an average of US$ 12,000 is required to bring one hectare into irrigation production (range is US$ 6,000 to US$ 19,000 per hectare). As per Irrigation Master Plan targets, an annual investment between US$33 toUS$48 million would need to be solely directed to irrigation infrastructure.
    2. There is a concern about the high cost of irrigation infrastructure development in Malawi compared to other countries. This is a hindrance to rapid irrigation development. Irrigation development is capital-intensive and so it competes with many other investment needs, given limited funding. Furthermore, the monetary returns to irrigation in Malawi are small and not likely to cover the high investment and maintenance costs.
    3. DCAFS therefore encourage the Government to look into factors affecting the high cost of irrigation development and come up with a clear strategy to address such challenges. In addition, the Government should explore and adopt the best models in the region or globally for running a cost-effective irrigation scheme.

  4. Land Governance and Consolidation in Irrigation Development:
    1. The laws and customs that govern land tenure and the development of commercial agriculture could constitute a major impediment to irrigation development if not actively managed. Land tenure is critical to the successful operation and sustainability of irrigation schemes. The Laws and customs that govern land tenure in Malawi are complex and sensitive. A majority of actual and potential irrigated areas are classified as customary land whereby it is necessary to negotiate long-term leasehold arrangements between the customary owners and the irrigation farmers, who may themselves be customary landholders. Studies have shown that schemes sometimes fail because of conflict within and between communities about access to land
    2. The Land Act (Amendment 2022) was passed by Parliament to resolve some of the uncertainties about customary land ownership. The Act seeks to balance the protection of local land rights and encourage responsible land use and investment. Before the amended Irrigation Act, some irrigation schemes failed to start or were abandoned due to land tenure wrangles.
    3. This calls for a patient and consultative approach to the design of irrigation schemes through early community engagement to resolve issues that may later threaten sustainability. This can be a complex and time-consuming process which must be done as early as possible during the project planning cycle before a decision is made to go ahead with an irrigation investment. There is hope that the amended Land Act (2022) will ease the process of setting up irrigation schemes on customary lands.
    4. Therefore, the DCAFS encourage the Government to scale up and accelerate the implementation of the Land Act (Amendment 2022). Among others, the issue of compensation should be dealt with as a matter of urgency. This, among others, calls for establishing a special fund for land compensation for development.
    5. DCAFS are aware that interventions to ensure effective implementation of the Land Laws (awareness, land registration and land block formation) demand a huge financial investment and technical support. The DCAFS encourage the Government to demonstrate commitment by allocating a special budget for Land law implementation.
    6. To ensure that the Land Act trigger investment in land as a valuable asset, there is an urgent need for massive and systematic awareness of the land registration process and addressing gender disparities.

  5. Narrow Focus for the Irrigation sub-sector
    1. Despite the multiple development objectives for irrigation, there is a very narrow focus on irrigation development in Malawi. The focus is on food security targeting the poorest of the poor or the vulnerable. Research has shown that the poorest of the poor do not often make good irrigation farmers. A suitable irrigation technology and crop can be selected for the target beneficiary depending on the development objective. By bringing in these new development objectives, irrigation will cease to be purely a food security matter but also a poverty reduction or export promotion issue. This will attract new entrants to the sector like emergent semi-commercial smallholder farmers as well as private agricultural estates targeting high-value crops with defined markets. These new groups are likely to mobilise capital for infrastructure as well as strengthen access to regional and international market linkages. The DCAFS would like to encourage the Government to support semi-commercial farmers and facilitate Public-Private Partnerships in irrigation development.
    2. This recommendation is in tandem with the Government’s 2015-2035 irrigation development objectives outlined in the Irrigation Master Plan as shown in the table below.
      Table 3: Government’s 2015-2035 irrigation development objectives by target group:
      ObjectivesPoor/Vulnerable HouseholdsEmerging SmallholdersSemi-commercial FarmersCommercial Farmers
      Food security--
      Poverty reduction--
      Income generation
      Employment-
      Economic growth-
      Exports-
      Recommended Irrigation TechnologyTreadle pump, gravity, low operation and maintenanceMotorised pump, gravityMotorised pump, gravityPressurised pump
      Crop ChoiceLow-value cropsHigh-value cropsHigh-value cropsHigh-value crops
      Key: Highest priority 3 stars, priority 2 stars and 1 star, somewhat a priority
  6. Weak Market Linkages
    1. Irrigation development in Malawi has been characterised by weak input and output marketing linkages. A review of several irrigation projects over the years has indicated that the marketing of smallholder irrigated produce is the weak link in the whole irrigation development chain. It is not technology and not production or water management but marketing that affects returns and sustainability. Irrigation farmers are struggling to sell their irrigated produce at a good price. Moreover, most farmers are disorganised and compromise aggregation, and negotiating in addition to having weak warehousing capacity. Marketing infrastructure (sheds, cold rooms, good feeder roads, wholesale markets and marketing info systems accessible to farmers) is not always there. Malawi is not short of high-value horticulture crops that can be irrigated with a steady market within the country or outside. Unfortunately, the horticulture potential in the country has not been exploited to the full.
    2. DCAFS encourage a thorough assessment of markets and market access opportunities as well as constraints as they are key success factors in the design of schemes. This recognises that profitability is critical to sustainability and that schemes must generate sufficient cash to finance operations and ensure long-term maintenance.
    3. Furthermore, high-value crops must be grown to recover the high investment and current costs of irrigation farming. There is a need to adopt a market-led approach to improve connectivity between irrigation farmers and the customers. In addition, success depends on working with the entire value chain and addressing transport, storage and processing bottlenecks as well as market knowledge and skill constraints.
    4. Value addition is in its infancy in most irrigation schemes. It is therefore important to integrate value addition investment as a vital factor for achieving agricultural sustainability goals as well as maximising returns.

  7. Sustaining Irrigation Schemes in Malawi:
    1. Sustainability of irrigation systems addresses financial, technical and environmental sustainability factors. First and foremost, sustainable irrigation must be profitable. This requires high cropping intensity, growing of high-value cash crops and good access to farm inputs and markets. Next, a portion of the profits must be re-cycled to finance routine operation and maintenance and a sinking fund to finance major rehabilitation or repair works when the need arises. This requires competent scheme management by either private sector operators or the Water User Associations (WUAS). However, the WUAs need capacity building and support over an extended period.
    2. In Malawi, there is also a considerable risk to irrigation sustainability from environmental degradation. High soil erosion rates and siltation of water storage and distribution structures have led to the destruction of intake structures and siltation of canals. There is a need to adopt a whole catchment approach to sustainable land and water management in which the catchment area is an integral part of the irrigation scheme (GoM, 2014). Apart from reducing siltation, the whole catchment approach will ensure that potential irrigation areas benefit entire communities, not just those who are allocated irrigated plots.

  8. Limited Irrigation Institutional Capacity and Governance:
    1. There are capacity constraints for irrigation farmers, extension workers and even irrigation engineers, especially in the design of irrigation systems. The irrigation service advisory role is expected to be performed by experts from the District Irrigation Office (DIO) and the District Agriculture Office (DAO). However, due to severe government funding constraints, mobility problems and inadequate staff, the district-level experts are unable to visit the many irrigation sites frequently. Even more, the large number of small irrigation schemes growing low-value crops makes it difficult to service and support. Consequently, smallholder irrigation farmers practice irrigation without essential technical know-how on crop water management, water application methods, irrigation intervals, crop production and marketing aspects.
    2. There are also human and technical constraints in the running of associations and cooperatives in irrigation schemes. The financial constraints faced by all DIOs have restricted them from conducting refresher training courses in operation and maintenance for irrigation farmers in irrigation schemes. Instead, farmers are relying on lead (progressive) farmers to train other farmers. The need for regular long-duration training appropriate to semi-illiterate farmers and committee members is a perquisite against the current donor-driven practice of training farmers ad-hoc. Measures to strengthen institutional capacity include filling staff vacancies and training farmers and extension workers in irrigation farming.
    3. According to the NIP (2016), the role of Government should be confined to things that the private sector cannot do and give due consideration to the need for capacity building in both the private and public spheres. It is envisaged that the capabilities of consultants, contractors and other service providers will be strengthened with specific skills in irrigation development. In this way, the role of the Government will focus on facilitation rather than direct service provision such as feasibility studies, design and construction.

  9. OVERARCHING MESSAGE
    1. Malawi has a strong potential to venture into sustainable irrigation development by utilising its ample land and water resources. However, the irrigation sub-sector has been supply-driven and not demand-driven with very weak market linkages both on the input and output markets. The country has yet to adopt a market-focused irrigation development approach targeting high-value crops with a ready market.
    2. Several factors make irrigation financially unviable in Malawi. These factors include limited investment by both the Government and private sector, unresolved land tenure issues, entrenched hand-out dependency culture, persistent droughts, unpredictable climate change effects, and high electricity, fuel and fertiliser prices.
    3. Cost-benefit analysis, systematic research and collection of irrigation and marketing data are some of the urgent needs to inform stakeholders’ investment in irrigation development.

The End

Resources:

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