LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-About 100,000 smallholder farmers in Malawi will benefit from two projects seeking to improve the common bean value chain through, among others, increased production, processing and value addition and access to readily available markets.
Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) will implement the projects, namely; Multi-stakeholder Seed Platform (MSP) and Legume Food Processing.
CIAT launched the projects on Wednesday in Lilongwe at a ceremony which attracted scores of researchers, scientists, scholars and public and private sector officials, mostly working in the common bean sector.
USAID is funding the two projects to the tune of 1.5 million US Dollars, through Feed the Future and Michigan State University.
It is expected that smallholder farmers, working in cooperatives, will be introduced to improved varieties of bean seed and new farming techniques in order to harvest abundant quality beans, some of which will go through processing and value addition to produce a diversity of bean products for readily available markets, which will benefit the farmers and intermediaries in the value chain, including seed sellers.
According to Bean Programme Leader and Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) Director Africa Hub, which is a division within CIAT, Jean Claude Rubyogo, the projects have come to solve any problems affecting the common bean value chain—from production to consumption—in order to increase job and business opportunities.
He added that an investment in the improvement of the common bean value chain is important, for beans are at the center of nutrition and food security for millions of people.
“Beans are probably the only source of protein for millions of people. They have protein up to 20 to 25 percent. Beans also have, among others, micronutrients such as iron and zinc. They have fiber and vitamins, including vitamin D6 and 12. Beans increase nitrogen in the soil. It is staple food, climate smart and maturity is less than three or two months.
“So, there will be increased production and better nutrition and diversification of bean products. In fact, the smallholder farmers that will benefit the most, are women, whose efforts will be rewarded. Apparently, the entire value chain will benefit, resulting into more incomes, which government will be able to tax,” Rubyogo said.
Director of Animal Health and Livestock Development in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Patrick Chikongwa, said the two projects have the potential to improve food security and increase income for women and youths.
“We are expecting a lot of impact, more especially the empowerment of rural farming communities through many income generating activities in the value chain.
We also expect that the projects will establish innovative and sustainable bean seed systems based on farmer seed demand through private sector engagements,” said Chikongwa.
