Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi’s economy and has the potential to be one of its major economic exports. Current irrigation practices, however, do not make use of this potential due to underdevelopment in investing in irrigation systems. This has led to low yields as well as drought conditions that have been devastating for farmers who are counting on their crops for income. It is estimated that the country has over 600,000 hectares of irrigation potential but only about 103,000 hectares has been developed.
Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa, with a population of around 19.6 million people and an economy heavily dependent on agriculture. Malawi is bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. The majority of Malawi’s farmers are smallholders who produce cash crops to sell at local markets or through small-scale cooperatives. These farmers use traditional methods such as manual labor (e.g., digging holes by hand) or rudimentary tools such as shovels or hoes that require lots of repetitive movements throughout the day. In areas where rainfall is unpredictable, there may not be enough water available for irrigation during peak crop growing season which makes it difficult for farmers to grow more than one crop per year.
