Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Mbirizi has officially launched the formulation of Malawi’s Third-Generation National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan (NASIP), calling on civil servants to reduce bureaucracy to accelerate the country’s agricultural transformation and support the Malawi 2063 development agenda.
Speaking during the launch in Lilongwe on Thursday, Mbirizi acknowledged that she had not had sufficient time to fully assess the performance of the previous investment plans. However, she said the current state of the agriculture sector suggests that earlier strategic initiatives have not delivered the expected results.
The minister said the new investment plan presents an opportunity to refocus government efforts on strengthening agricultural value chains to increase productivity, improve food and nutrition security, and promote commercialization.
“As much as we want to follow government procedures, unnecessary bureaucracy is taking us backwards. We have had two plans before, and I hear it will take us six months to come up with the third generation. Why not complete it in three months?” Mbirizi questioned.
She emphasized the need for greater efficiency in implementing government programmes, saying timely planning is essential if Malawi is to achieve the aspirations outlined in Malawi 2063.
Meanwhile, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Assistant Country Representative in Malawi George Mvula said the development of the Third-Generation NASIP will be guided by extensive consultations with stakeholders across the agricultural sector.
Mvula said the investment plan is intended to operationalize the National Agriculture Policy, which was launched in 2024, by translating its objectives into actionable investment priorities that will drive sustainable growth in Malawi’s agriculture sector.
