3. INTRODUCTION
• Majority of Malawi's population are youths. 52 % of these
youths are 18 and below
• This population of the youth is challenged by lack of skill
development policies and programs by the country
• Majority of the youths involved in agricultural production are
constrained by poor access to both input and output markets.
4. Bean productivity and consumption in
Malawi
• Bean – important food and cash crop for SH farmers
• Demand increase due to scarcity and high price of animal
protein
• Its fast maturity period save as an insurance crop against
malnutrition and food insecurity
• Malawi one of the highest consumer of beans in SSA with
percapita consumption of 5.6 kg per yr
• However the production is too low to meet demand for
growing population and export
5. RESEARCH PRIORITIES
• Agricultural research has for long focused on how to increase
yield, improved bean seed technologies, improve bean
varieties
• Research on how young farmers can take up these varieties up
to bean markets both national and international has not been
dwelled on much.
• However, young farmers have potential to grow and market
the beans; regional change is possible
6. METHODOLOGY
• The study used secondary information
bean sub-sector analyses
regulatory frameworks
government reports on
bean markets, prices, consumption,
production, related policies for Malawi, export
and import data.
7. Involving the youths in bean research: where do
we start from?
• Constraints
Lack of production resources – land, credit,
improved seeds at affordable price,
Lack storage facilities, can’t access foreign
markets, weak supporting markets and trade
facilitation, high transaction costs, poor price
policies.
Lack research skills, production skills and
agribusiness skills
8. Involving the youths in bean research:
where do we start from? - contnd
• create conducive environment for the young
farmers.
Improve on land policy, agri-production credit - availability and
conditions, involve young farmers in bean seed research - PVS
and pdn trainings, and improved bean seed sources
Improve markets and marketing conditions – improve storage
facilities, improve access to foreign markets, improve price
policies, trade policies on bean markets
Include young farmers in agribusiness trainings – understand
bean seed supply chain and market research
9. Effective strategies for unlocking bean
markets
• Domestic market
young farmers need to take advantage of emerging bean seed
markets
They need to venture into commercial bean seed production
and marketing to satisfy unmet demand by seed companies
• International market
Malawi is a member of COMESA, SADC and WTO, beneficiary
of AGOA and EBA and is in bilateral agreement with
Zimbabwe, Zambia and SA offer opportunities for increasing
trade and investment in the region.
10. Conclusion and Recommendation
• Malawi need to support
self employment for young farmers by providing credit
and technical advise
service sector that link with agriculture and feed into
processing and manufacturing
• We recommend a shift in research priorities by putting
forward workable methods on youth integration
within research activities to utilize the bean market
opportunities in the region
