According to the National Export Strategy (2013-2018), sunflower and other oilseed commodities are prioritized as future export crops for Malawi. Sunflower production in Malawi is concentrated in some districts, including Kasungu, Mchinji, and Rumphi, where tobacco is also widely grown.
How much sunflower does Malawi produce annually?
Malawi’s annual production of sunflower hovers around 11,000 metric tonnes (mT) despite the increased demand of sunflower at local and international markets. The country’s processor requires around 30-40,000 mT of sunflower seed annually.
Is there an untapped market for sunflower in Malawi?
In Malawi, the annual demand for sunflower is between 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes, while domestic production remains around 15,000 tonnes. This significant gap implies that there is a huge untapped market for sunflower domestically.
Can small farmers produce oilseeds in Malawi?
This analysis suggests that efforts to increase small farmers’ production of oilseeds in Malawi should focus on farmers with larger landholdings in the Mid-altitude plateau zone. Land availability appears to be an important consideration in both farmers’ decisions to produce oilseeds and how much of this to sell.
How many households participate in crop agriculture in Malawi?
Source: Benson, Mabiso, and Nankhuni (2016). Source: Author’s weighted analysis of 2016-17 Malawi Integrated Household Survey. Note: Observations (IHS4 survey sample households that engage in crop agriculture): 9,293.
Why are agro-ecological constraints affecting smallholder farmers in Malawi?
Given the general agro-ecological suitability of much of the land in Malawi for production of these crops, the principal spatial constraints to smallholder farmers engaging in their commercial produc-tion are more likely to be linked to market access and the costs producers would face in order to profitably sell their oilseed.