Bumper maize crop.

Malawi recorded a bumper maize crop of 2.5 million mt in the year to June due in part to a scheme launched to help small farmers two years ago, Reuters reported industry officials as saying on Wednesday.

Malawi harvested 2.5 million mt of white mill maize in the year to June, compared to 2.25 million mt the previous year. Both years’ harvests are well above the country’s annual requirements of 1.7 million mt, agriculture ministry officials said.
The government credits a “Starter Pack Scheme” it launched for new farmers two years ago for the good maize crop.
Some 2.8 million small farmers were given free seed, fertilisers, pesticides and technical support.

Foreign donors have criticised the scheme for cultivating a culture of handouts, but local officials said the plan has had good results, which have spilled over to other areas. Farmers produced 2.78 million mt of cassava in 1999/2000 compared to 0.89 million mt in 1998/99.