By Nellie Kapatuka
Lilongwe, Mana: Agriculture Experts will next week hold discussions on how best the country can move from research findings towards their implementation.
This will take place during this year’s Agricultural Policy Conference slated to take place from June 1 to 2, 2021.
Chairperson for the Conference’s Organizing Committee, Executive Director for Mwapata Institute, William Chadza disclosed the development during a media briefing held recently in Lilongwe.
He said the event is aimed at creating a platform for strategic dialogue and evidence based policy guidance and implementation support for agricultural transformation, to provide a platform for disseminating new evidence to stakeholders and increasing uptake of new research findings in policy making processes.
“Through the conference, we are expecting that we will find new ways of integrating new research findings into the country’s agricultural policy making to support agricultural transformation in line with Malawi 2063, among other things,” he explained.
Agricultural transformation is one of the main areas of focus in the recently launched development agenda, Malawi 2063.
Research Manager for the National Planning Commission, Dr. Andrew Jamali said the country’s indicators are not very pleasing at the moment; hence conferences like these important to ensure proper direction of the country’s development agenda’s.
He said it was pleasing to note that the theme for the conference, “Supporting Agriculture Transformation in Malawi: Beyond Research to Implementation,” is in line with Malawi 2063 vision.
“It is only when research is made a priority in the country’s developmental agenda’s when the country will progress in terms of development,” Jamali added.
He stressed the need for all projects in the country to be in line with Malawi 2063.
Executive Director for the Civil Society Network for Agriculture, Pamela Kuwali said there was a lot of research going on in the country that if taken seriously could change the direction of things saying there was a need to bridge the gap that is there between research recommendations and their implementation.
She said the conference gives an opportunity for experts in agriculture to discuss how together; they could help transform the sector.
The conference will have presentations and panel discussions by key Malawian experts and stakeholders to identify successful and scalable innovations that achieve agricultural transformation, wealth creation and improved livelihood.
