The United States government has indicated Malawi’s great potential in the agricultural sector in that it is set to become the third largest producer of groundnuts in the next five years in the world.
US Charge’ d’ Affaires Amy Diaz made the remarks during the US National Day reception in Lilongwe to celebrate 60 years of Malawi’s Independence and 60 years of American-Malawian relations.
During the event, she cited that with 98 percent of Malawians living with HIV knowing their status, 98 percent on Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and 98 are immune-suppressed meaning they can’t transmit the virus to others, as one of the huge milestones.
She attributed this to a programme which came into being in 2004 and boasted that in less than 20 years, about 1.1 million lives have been saved and the 98 percent levels means Malawi is under epidemic control for AIDS owing to the US –Malawi partnership.
In education, the US has constructed about 105 new secondary schools across Malawi and expanded 30 urban schools translating to 30,000 new Malawian students attaining secondary education each year as America continues building the schools.
Due to investments made 10 years ago, the US government has moved to offer tobacco as a primary agricultural product and now groundnuts and macadamia nuts being the next big thing.
”In fact Malawi is scheduled to become the third largest producer of groundnuts the next five years in the world and that wasn’t even possible ten years ago. And the amount of money that’s coming because of those investments is more than a $100 million each year in direct money because of the exports of groundnuts and now we’re doing that with macadamia nuts and we’re hoping to see some real results soon”
Diaz stated that honesty and commitment will continue in the 60 year partnership hoping Malawi will hold the US accountable the same way it does for Malawi.
She stressed on the need for the two nations to have candid and hard conversations.
The Charge d’ Affaires pledged more support towards the bilateral ties noting it’s a great time to take stock of the opportunities and challenges with the huge youth dividend who have tremendous innovations, energy and potential to turn around the challenges.
In the coming years, the US diplomat indicated that her expectation is for Africa and Malawi leading capitalizing on the youth population and the resources to realise that.
Among others, she highlighted that through the partnership, life expectancy in Malawi has changed from 50 t0 63 percent and the country’s expectancy is that of middle income.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nancy Tembo described the event as truly auspicious as the two countries celebrate 60 years of their cooperation, joining US commemorate 248 years of independence and President Lazarus Chakwera together with the MCC boss Alice Albright inaugurating the second Millennium challenge compact.
This entails the construction of road infrastructure across seven districts with a length of 350 kilometres and in the programme, there is also construction of distribution lines to ensure that those areas where the road infrastructure is going to be done have access to electricity and to help in land management and road maintenance among other components.
“FDI just doesn’t come in a vacuum; there has to be certain fundamentals on the ground, people must be attracted to the country, you have to have the necessary infrastructure, electricity, good road network. You have to have a people that are hard-working, the right pieces of legislation that guide people’s business and investment.
“We have to be accountable, we have to be transparent. We really have to pay attention to acts of corruption and deal with it, and so there’s so much that needs to be done but the basis must be laid down and if we have good road infrastructure in Malawi, we have all this energy and everything, then we are assured that people will be attracted to come to Malawi”.
