Impactful Public-Private Synergies Attract Government Support for Malawi’s Bean Value Chain

Despite its potential, Malawi’s common bean yields are low, at under 0.7 tons per hectare, while neighboring Tanzania achieves 1.3 tons per hectare. This gap stems from several factors including shortage of high-quality seed of climate-resilient varieties preferred by farmers and consumers. Consequently, Malawi only meets 7% of the market demand for premium certified bean seeds, leaving a substantial 350,000 hectares of land underutilized.

In contrast, the common bean has proven to be a lucrative source of foreign exchange elsewhere. Ethiopia, for instance, has consistently earned around $100 million annually over the years from bean exports by effectively utilizing its 355,550 hectares for cultivation.