The Malawi government has emphasized the importance of cooperatives in driving economic growth within the agricultural sector, according to the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation. Speaking at the 2026 Cooperative Fair held at the Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds in Blantyre, officials called on civil society and government institutions to support investments that empower female farmers. The event operated under the official theme "Cooperatives Empower Women in Transforming Agri-food Systems."
In related efforts to support food production, the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences recently concluded an agricultural stakeholder engagement in Chikwawa and Blantyre, MUBAS news reports. The university is partnering with the government-led Shire Valley Transformation Project to advance climate-resilient farming and irrigation. The initiative operates under the Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems in Southern Africa program, drawing expertise from various sectors to address nutrition and crop productivity.
Meanwhile, the main national harvest is actively improving food security across most of the country, according to an update published by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network. The report notes that a favorable rainy season has supported average crop yields in the central and northern surplus-producing regions. However, localized dry spells in southern districts, including Chikwawa, Nsanje, and Mangochi, have caused severe moisture stress. District agriculture offices indicate that the dry conditions have resulted in the permanent wilting of up to 15 percent of the local maize crop in these affected southern areas.