It accounts for about 40% of the country’s GDP and about
90% of its export earnings. Given the importance of this sector, it is not surprising that the
performance in the agricultural and rural economy is the critical component of food security
and overall economic growth. It is disheartening, however, to point out that the performance
of Malawi’s Agriculture has been quite unsatisfactory, with low rates of growth, deepening of
pervasive rural poverty and food insecurity, (GOM 2004).