Lotus Holdings Malawi has revealed its plan to transform Malawi’s agricultural landscape with what it calls “the largest project of its kind” in the country.
Lotus Managing Director George Martis said through the project, Lotus is geared to cultivate up to 6,000 hectares of wheat and 3,000 hectares of white haricot beans for export earnings.Martis said the project will not only boost Malawi’s export earnings but to meet the concerns of Malawians to include a flour production facility to process part of the harvest locally.
“We have a lot to contribute to Malawi. Apart from export and feeding the country, the project will also create job opportunities to young people and enhance food security which will position Malawi as a serious player in regional agriculture”, Martis said.
Lotus Holding website, the company’s long-term vision is even aiming to develop up to 20,000 hectares of fully mechanized and irrigated farmland. Martis added that the initial phase, covering about 1,000 hectares, is already being prepared as a model for expansion.
Lotus mission is to modernize farming in the country through technology, irrigation, and year-round cultivation.Apart from wheat and beans, the company plans to introduce other high-value crops for both local consumption and export, helping the country earn much-needed foreign exchange.
Lotus hopes to help shift Malawi from subsistence farming to commercial-scale agriculture, creating new economic opportunities across the value chain from farming and processing to transport and exports.”As a Malawian company, we want not just planting crops; but we are planting a new future through the project”, Martis explained.
