LILONGWE, November 13, 2019— Farmers in 12 districts are expected to benefit from climate resilience technologies, new crop varieties, and improved agronomic practices through an additional 40 million Norwegian Kroners (approximately $4.4million) provided by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the World Bank towards the Malawi Second Agriculture Sector Wide Approach Support Project (ASWAp SPII) Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
“The collective effort of development partners in supporting ASWAp SPII in Malawi continues to show impact and good outcomes in nutrition and women’s empowerment, leading to more inclusive economic growth and increased resilience in Agriculture” said Greg Toulmin, World Bank Country Manager for Malawi.
Investments under the project will include road rehabilitation, which is critical to ensuring access to markets, capacity building of Ministry of Agriculture personnel, and establishment of model villages as demonstration hubs for good agricultural practices, led and managed by the own beneficiaries. All these areas are demonstrating the significant impact of ASWAp SPII in the agriculture sector in Malawi.
“It is Important to strengthen the Government system including sectors related to policy, extension and research, and at the same time reach out to the small-scale farmers with concrete support. These areas of support align fully with the Norwegian priorities”, said His Excellency, Steinar Hagen, Norwegian Ambassador to Malawi.
The second phase of the ASWAp multi donor trust fund, supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union (EU), the Government of Flanders, the Norwegian Government and the Government of Ireland, started in 2018 and is expected to reach more than 350,000 people by December 2021.
