Is the Future of Malawi’s Pigeon Pea Industry at the Mercy of India?

DOWNLOAD

June 1, 2018 - Flora J. Nankhuni and Nathalie M. Me-Nsope

Flora J. Nankhuni and Nathalie M. Me-Nsope, 2018. Is the Future of Malawi’s Pigeon Pea Industry at the Mercy of India? An Analysis of Malawi’s Pigeon Pea Value Chain, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Brief 62. East Lansing: Michigan State University

For full report, see Nathalie M. Me-Nsope and Flora J. Nankhuni, 2018. An Analysis of Malawi’s Pigeon Pea Value Chain, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Paper 98. East Lansing: Michigan State University

KEY FINDINGS

  • Pigeon pea production and yields have increased steadily over the years, making it the most important legume crop accounting for 35% of total legume production in Malawi, in 2016/17.
  • It is mostly grown in the Southern region of Malawi while crop suitability maps indicate that the Central and Northern regions are relatively more suitable.
  • The crop is grown on small pieces of land (on average 0.5 ha/household) and is mostly intercropped with maize.
  • Some of the constraints include: limited access by farmers to improved seed varieties partly due to limited availability of the seeds and limited access to financial resources to enable the farmers purchase the seeds; limited access to extension by farmers; pest and disease attacks that are not managed; low farm gate prices, and limited access to markets.
  • India is the largest importer of pigeon pea from Malawi. However, data is not available to show how much of the crop crosses Zambia, Tanzania and/or Mozambique borders through informal trade.
  • In 2016/17 prices of pigeon pea plummeted (from a high of Mk 1,000/kg (>$1) in some markets to as low as ~Mk 100/kg in some markets in 2018. This is partly due to a ban on imports into India. Despite this, pigeon pea hactarege is estimated to decrease by only 9.2% and production by 10.8% in 2017/18 season.
  • To strengthen the pigeon pea value chain, Malawi needs to invest in the seed and extension systems, strengthen farmer organizations, secure the India market through diplomacy, diversify the export market and create demand within the country.

DOWNLOAD FILE

Authors

You Might Also Be Interested In

Accessibility Questions:

For questions about accessibility and/or if you need additional accommodations for a specific document, please send an email to ANR Communications & Marketing at anrcommunications@anr.msu.edu.

Tag List
  • c4a,
  • c4b,
  • food security group,
  • fsg policy brief,
  • fsp policy brief,
  • innovation lab for food security policy,
  • malawi,
  • pigeon pea
  • follow us on linkedin
Michigan State University
  • Spartans Will.
  • © Michigan State University

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential.

Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Quentin Tyler, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707.

We comply with the Federal Trade Commission 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).