Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda was speaking in Lilongwe when he opened a 12th Annual Congress and Policy Conference for Farmers Union of Malawi. Chaponda said Government is aware about the problems farmers face and Government is working on the problems.

“I am glad to report that the agriculture policy that was being formulated will soon be approved by Cabinet. We have also reviewed the previous agriculture sector wide approach and will be developing a new one after approval of the national agriculture policy,” said Chaponda.

The Minister said Government realizes that the country’s survival and wellbeing of its people depend on farming.He therefore urged the conference to come forward with proposals that can help improve farming.

The theme for the 12th Annual Congress and the National Farmers Policy Conference is “Farming for Markets and Development: Partnerships for Increased Farmer Productivity, Market Access and Incomes”.