Malawi partners with AGRA to bolster poultry industry

MALAWI – The Government of Malawi has teamed up with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Poultry Industry Association of Malawi (PIAM) to launch the Poultry Delivery Lab, an initiative aimed at reforming the country’s poultry industry.

The two-day event, held in Lilongwe, brought together policymakers, investors, and producers to develop concrete strategies to enhance productivity, strengthen value chains, and improve investor confidence in the sector.

According to Dr. Julius Chulu, Director of Animal Health and Livestock Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, the Lab was established to turn ideas into practical outcomes rather than prolonged discussions.

He said poultry farming holds an important place in Malawi’s agricultural strategy due to its potential to create jobs, improve nutrition, and increase income for rural communities.

Although the sector has shown gradual growth, national production still falls short of demand, with chicken remaining the most consumed animal protein in the country.

The average Malawian consumes around 3.16 kilograms of chicken annually, which is below nutritional recommendations but higher than the per capita consumption in Kenya despite its stronger economy.

This consumption pattern reflects a strong local appetite for poultry products and points to the industry’s capacity for expansion if key challenges are addressed.

A recent value chain analysis estimates that Malawi’s poultry output could grow from 83,000 tonnes in 2024 to about 130,000 tonnes by 2030, potentially linking over 450,000 smallholder farmers to structured production and marketing systems.

However, high feed costs remain a major obstacle, accounting for roughly 77 percent of total production expenses, largely driven by fluctuations in maize and soybean prices.

Studies show that Malawian consumers spend about 3.51 percent of their per capita GDP to purchase 10 kilograms of chicken, compared to 0.24 percent in South Africa, highlighting cost and competitiveness gaps.

Despite having access to regional markets, Malawi has not capitalized on export opportunities such as Mozambique, which imports over 30,000 tonnes of poultry annually from South Africa and South America.

The Delivery Lab aims to address these barriers by focusing on trade facilitation, pricing reforms, and investment in production efficiency to make local poultry products more regionally competitive.

Key reform goals

The initiative targets five main outcomes: creating a shared national vision, drafting a policy roadmap, setting up accountability and monitoring frameworks, and ensuring strong collaboration between the government and private sector.

Policy discussions at the event focused on reviewing taxes on soybean cake, revising farm-gate pricing mechanisms, and introducing export-friendly measures through public-private partnerships.

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