Agriculture key to inclusive growth—MCCCI
The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) has said agriculture is key to inclusive economic growth because the sector employs majority of Malawians.
According to available statistics, agriculture employs about 86 percent of Malawians, wires in about 80 percent of foreign exchange earnings and contributes 30 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Speaking during a media briefing on Friday in Blantyre ahead of the 11th National Agriculture Fair, MCCCI public private sector dialogue manager Hope Chavula said growth in agriculture would benefit a lot of Malawians because most of them are involved in the sector.
“Since the start of the sectoral fair, we have seen a lot of changes in the exhibitions. Over the years, we have seen exhibitors changing from showing unprocessed produce to processed products, including cooking oil and soap. Some farmers have also been able to access markets through the same fairs,” he said.
Chavula also noted that due to increasing activities by small-scale farmers, the fair is also meant to expose them to new developments in technologies, markets and financial arrangements.
The fair, according to MCCCI, will also provide linkages between producers and the users of the produce and people that provide farming machines.
Also speaking, MCCCI membership service and communication manager Natasha Kalea said by the close of business on Friday, over 65 pavilion had been booked.
“So far, we expect a successful fair based on the number of pavilions that have been booked which we hope will hit 100,” she said.
According to MCCCI, the aim of the agriculture fair, which has been running since 2003, is to provide a forum for players in the agriculture sector to share experiences and expertise.
The fair which is slated to take place from August 28 to August 30 at Chichiri Trade Fair Gounds in Blantyre is themed ‘Agriculture: A Basis for Achieving Inclusive Growth’.
The fair will also include business sessions to provide a platform to share emerging issues in the sector.
