Initial Steps in Implementation of the Malawi Land Laws: Implications for Commercial Agriculture

SYMPOSIUM - May 10, 2017, Lilongwe, Malawi. This event provided a dialogue on the newly adopted Land Laws and what they entail for agriculture development in Malawi.

By Paida Mpaso

A_farmer_moves_through_his_field-Cropped_
Golden Peacock, Lilongwe, Malawi, May 10, 2017

The “Initial Steps in Implementation of the Malawi Land Laws: Implications for Commercial Agriculture” symposium provided a dialogue on the newly adopted Land Laws and what they entail for agriculture development in Malawi.The symposium also informed on the status of several New Alliance commitments that are related to land: 1) Identification of land in phases, suitable for large scale commercial agriculture (10,000 ha/year from 2013) every year; 2) Enactment of the new Land Bill into law (which happened but now remains to be disseminated and implemented); 3) Introduction of agricultural zoning based on priority crops and growth.

The symposium was organized in consultation with all stakeholders in the Land and Agriculture sectors to ensure that the forum provided a platform for coordinated interventions in the land sector that promote development of a commercially viable agriculture sector.

PROCEEDINGS REPORT

PROGRAM (pdf version)
Arrival of the Guest of Honour Honorable Atupele Muluzi, MP, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development

Opening
Welcome Remarks and Introduction: Dr. Flora Nankhuni, NAPAS Malawi
Opening Remarks: Mr. Bright Kumwembe, Chief Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development
Opening Remarks: Mr. Charles Msosa, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development
Official Opening by Guest of Honor: Honorable Atupele Muluzi, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development

 HighTable

Photo: Professor Emmanuel Kaunda, Acting Vice Chancellor, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR); Charles Msosa, Principal Secretary Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development (MoLHUD); Honorable Atupele Muluzi, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MoLHUD); Bright Kumwembe, Chief Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development (MoAIWD); Carter Hemphill, Economist, Sustainable Economic Growth Dept., USAID-Malawi

Session I

Session II

Presentation III
Panel Discussion, Moderated by Mr. Rex Chapota, ex-CEO of Farm Radio Trust


Panelists:
Betty Chinyamunyamu, Representative of smallholder commercial farmers
Dr. David Kamchacha, Representative of domestic investors (private sector)
Mr. Jonathan Jacobs, Representative of a foreign investor (also private sector)
TA Mbenje of Nsanje, Representative of the Government of Malawi and Traditional Authorities
Mr. Prince Kapondamgaga, Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM), Representative of all farmers (commercial and subsistence)
Ms. Yvonne Mmangisa, FAO, Representative of the DP community

Closing Remarks
Professor Emmanuel Kaunda, Acting Vice Chancellor, LUANAR


PRESS RELEASES


MEDIA INFORMATION

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This event is the continuation of the discussions of the 2016 symposium: “Complexities of Land Issues in Malawi and their Implications for Agricultural Commercialization.” 
Download the 2016 Report.

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