The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) has emphasized that transforming the agriculture sector is central to achieving the Malawi Vision 2063.

Wezi Mungoni, MCCCI's Director of Membership Development, highlighted the need to shift from low productivity and subsistence-oriented agriculture to a highly-productive, commercialized agriculture system with manufacturing linkages.

Mungoni announced that MCCCI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, will host the 20th National Agriculture Fair from 29th to 31st August 2024 at the Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds in Blantyre.

The event will be held under the theme: “Driving Towards Export-oriented Agriculture through Commercialization and Innovation.”

Mungoni said; "The theme calls for the adoption of innovative approaches to production in order to realize increased output."

"Agriculture, though the mainstay of Malawi’s economy, contributing close to a quarter of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has remained below its potential and cannot match the increasing demand from domestic and export markets. Furthermore, commercialization, value addition, and mechanization in the sector remain limited."

According to Mungoni, this transformation will attract investment in value addition and agro-processing, increasing the volume of marketable surpluses and propelling industrialization.

"In this spirit, MCCCI and the Ministry of Agriculture organize the National Agriculture Fair annually to create a platform for information sharing on best practices and business linkages for stakeholders in the agriculture sector, as well as to raise public awareness of evolving developments," Mungoni explained.

"We believe that agribusiness has the potential to drive economic growth through the production of agricultural products and services that add value."

She further stated that increased exports would improve the country’s balance of trade and bring about positive economic developments such as job creation within the agribusiness value chains.