A better 'start' towards improved food security
Like many countries, Malawi has a high percentage of households who do not have enough food to eat throughout the year. However, with the help of the government and donor agencies, farmers have received for the last two years what has been called a 'starter' pack containing seeds and fertilizers which should produce two months extra food for the average rural family.
Sixty percent of Malawi's rural population is currently unable to meet
its nutritional requirements and essential non-food needs. With an increasing
population, mono-modal rainfall (allowing only one crop a year) and with
virtually all arable land already under cultivation, Malawi's food insecurity
is likely to deteriorate further if agricultural productivity continues
to decline. Maize is the dominant food staple in the country, which accounts
for around 80% of crop production for smallholders. 
The
cost of inputs to produce an extra tonne of maize is less than US$75 per
metric tonne. In contrast, importing and delivering an additional tonne
of maize costs between US$250-300 per metric tonne.
Seeds for all
As a short-term intervention almost three million starter packs have been provided to each farming family in the country for the last two years as a way of improving national as well as household food security. The pack consists of hybrid maize seeds, fertilizer for maize and seeds of a legume (beans, soyabeans or groundnut) to encourage crop diversity and improve nutrition and soil fertility. Enough seeds and fertilizer are provided to plant a tenth of a hectare. In 1998 all packs were delivered directly to each village. In the following year, the programme was modified slightly to encourage involvement from the private sector. This has been achieved by providing a proportion of the seeds in the pack as vouchers to a proportion of the recipients, which can then be exchanged for seeds and fertilizers at nominated retail outlets.
Dr Harry Potter, Natural Resources Advisor for the UK Department for International Development in Malawi, has been overseeing the project. He is keen that agricultural advice and information is used effectively to promote the best use of the packs, particularly as surveys have shown that about 40% of households who have received the pack have had no previous experience of using improved seeds and fertilizers. Dissemination and extension are therefore an important part of the programme.
As the programme continues, it is intended that an element of targeting will be included in the scheme to enable the value of the vouchers to be changed in different areas of the country to ensure the benefits reach those most in need. The vouchers can also be made available for different quantities and types of agricultural inputs according to the requirements of each particular region. As the provision of packs may become more selective, assessments will continue to provide a detailed picture of the benefits of the scheme, both in agricultural terms with increased productivity and in household security through increased family nutrition and income.
A change of heart
Malawi has been fortunate to enjoy good rains in the two years that the packs have been distributed and this has provided farmers with some of the best harvests they have had for some time. But the success of the packs is evident in the change of attitude towards the farming systems practised by some farmers. In several regions, intercropping with legumes would have been previously disregarded but, with the provision of legume seed in the starter pack and advice from extension officers, many farmers are now practising intercropping of maize and legumes and making the most of their land by adopting careful management.
As elsewhere in the world, the key to food security in Malawi lies in the determination and resourcefulness of smallholder families. However, this ambitious national 'starter pack' campaign has shown that with effective support, agricultural production can not only be boosted but that a large number of farmers can be encouraged to adopt new techniques.
