LUANAR pledges continued support to farmers through new K5.1 Billion Agriculture Transformation Centre

The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) has pledged to continue offering laboratory services to smallholder farmers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector through its newly established Global Action Agriculture Transformation Centre at its Natural Resources College (NRC) Campus in Lilongwe.

LUANAR Vice-Chancellor Professor Emmanuel Kaunda made the remarks when he officially received the state-of-the-art facility worth K5.1 billion, constructed by the Centre for Agriculture Transformation (CAT) with funding from Global Action to End Smoking.

The facility features, among others, a soil analysis laboratory for soil testing and a food processing laboratory to help entrepreneurs add value to root and tuber crops such as sweet potatoes and cassava before certification by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS).

Kaunda emphasised that the university is committed to ensuring the centre remains affordable for all farmers seeking innovative solutions to improve soil fertility and crop yields, while sustaining the momentum built by CAT.

Kaunda: We are determined to reach out to all Farmers in Malawi

“We want to ensure that the university continues to make an impact on the farming community and the agriculture sector at large by keeping laboratory services affordable.

We have the Centre for Innovation, Excellence, Research and Commercialisation, which will oversee the daily operations of the facility to ensure that no farmer is left behind,” said Kaunda.

Meanwhile, Candida Nankhumwa, CAT Vice President and Country Director for Global Action to End Smoking, described the move to place the centre under LUANAR as strategic, given the university’s reputation as a hub of agricultural excellence. She expressed optimism that the facility will sustain activities aimed at enhancing agricultural diversification in Malawi.

“I would like to call upon more private sector players and development partners to support LUANAR’s efforts as it strives to promote agricultural diversity,” said Nankhumwa.

Pam Parizek, Executive Board Chairperson for Global Action to End Smoking, added that the centre’s significance to Malawi’s agriculture sector will soon become evident as LUANAR works to make it fully operational.

Nakhumwa: It was a strategic move to have LUANAR as a partner for this initiative.

“I have seen tremendous progress from LUANAR, which has already assembled a team to begin full-scale operations and provide much-needed support to farmers and other agricultural stakeholders,” she said.

The new centre is expected to expand LUANAR’s research and outreach capacity, provide hands-on training to students, and strengthen collaborations with government, the private sector, and development partners to advance Malawi’s agricultural transformation.

The Centre for Agriculture Transformation has been implementing a six-year project in Malawi aimed at helping farmers transition from tobacco production to alternative value chains as part of efforts to reduce tobacco dependence.