What was once hailed as Malawi’s next economic breakthrough has, for many farmers, turned into a costly illusion.

In 2021, cooperatives across the country plunged into industrial hemp farming, lured by promises that the crop—dubbed “green gold”—would rival tobacco as a top foreign-exchange earner.

With projections of up to $700 million in annual revenues, hope spread quickly from policy rooms to rural fields. For thousands of smallholder and commercial farmers, it seemed like a rare chance to escape the volatility of traditional crops and poverty.

Just a few seasons later, that promise lies in ruins.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture has launched Africa’s first soybean speed breeding facility in Zambia, marking a major breakthrough in efforts to accelerate crop improvement and strengthen food systems across the region.

Soybean has emerged as one of the most strategic crops in Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting nutrition, livestock feed, and agro-industrial development. 

ZODIAK ONLINE

ArtBridge House, Area 47
Sect. 5, P/Bag 312
Lilongwe, Malawi
Text: (265) 999-566-711
support@zodiakmalawi.com

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