What is Malawi oilseed sector transformation (most)?
The Malawi Oilseed Sector Transformation (MOST) programme aims to reduce poverty by facilitating changes in the cotton, groundnut, soybean and sunflower markets using a market systems approach.
Why is cotton important in Malawi?
Cotton remains an important crop for Malawi generating export revenues, value added and cash income for rural populations. Although cotton is grown primarily for its lint (the raw material in cotton textiles) other parts of the plant also have commercial value for example processing cottonseed into edible oil and livestock feed.
How much cotton does Malawi produce per hectare?
The overall global demand of cotton is expected to increase in the upcoming years. But however, yields per hectare continue to be the limiting factor for Malawi which continue to hover around 300kg/ha compared to an average of 700kg/ha on the global average and as high as 2000kg/ha for other advanced economies.
Does cotton contribute to rural poor in Malawi?
Nevertheless, technologies to add value to other parts of the cotton plant (such as cotton stalks, linters or ginning waste) are largely absent in Malawi, amounting to unrealized economic opportunities. Cotton has been identified as one of the sectors in Malawi with the economic potential to significantly contribute to rural poor in Malawi.