Malawi’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Callista Mutharika, emphasized the significance of summits like the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) for agrarian economies such as Malawi.
Speaking to Malawian journalists in Nairobi yesterday, ahead of the AFSH Summit scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday, Mutharika underscored Malawi’s reliance on agriculture as a major foreign exchange earner.
She stressed the importance of Malawi’s participation in such gatherings, highlighting the country’s dependence on imported fertilizers due to the absence of local manufacturing. This necessitates engagement with stakeholders at the continental level to secure vital agricultural commodities like fertilizer.
“This is an opportunity for our President to come to Kenya to commit himself and speak to different development agencies that can help us in securing fertilizer and getting advice on what Malawi needs to do,” she said.
Last month, President Lazarus Chakwera attended the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. The summit aimed to identify crucial priority areas for financing in Africa and advocate for a robust replenishment of IDA resources, vital for supporting transformative development objectives across the continent.
President Chakwera is slated to participate in the AFSH Summit on Thursday. This summit convenes relevant stakeholders to underscore the pivotal role of fertilizer and soil health in fostering sustainable productivity growth in African agriculture, particularly among marginalized communities. The event aims to forge consensus on an African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan, along with the Soils Initiative for Africa.
In June 2006, African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government endorsed the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the Africa Green Revolution. This continental strategy seeks to reverse the concerning trend of low productivity in African soils. The declaration prioritizes targets essential for agricultural growth, food security, and rural development in Africa, with a specific focus on fertilizer utilization.
