• Yamikani Mtisau
• Esakkiappan Mugundharajan

Malawi’s economy is purely rests on the agricultural sector as it dictates its impact on the country’s ability to create jobs, diversify exports, fight against poverty, and overall economic growth (Freeman et. al., 2008). The sector takes about 80% of foreign earnings, 35% of national gross domestic product (GDP), and commands a labour force of over 80% (Gondwe, 2018). World Bank observes that the average agriculture value added between 1960 and 2019 was estimated at 0.75 billion U.S. dollars with a minimum of 0.08 billion U.S. dollars in 1960 and a maximum of 2.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2011. The latest value from 2019 is 1.96 billion U.S. dollars, against the world average of 19.06 billion USD in the same year. In this case, at global level, Malawi’s agriculture value added is very low. The Agricultural sector provides employment to most Malawians. Historical data from 1961 to 2019 (Knoema, 2021) shows that average value for Malawi during that period was 79.52 percent with a minimum of 76.36 percent in 2019 and a maximum of 81.51 percent in 1992. The latest value from 2019 is 76.36 percent, against the world average of 23.40% in the same year. Clearly, the sector is the single largest employer in the Malawi economy. Figure 3.1 shows the trend of employment in the Malawi Agricultural Sector (2012 – 2019). Although the trend is a declining trend, the sector remains the largest employer for Malawians. In fact, the declining trend implies that other sectors of the economy are also taking up more employees. Inflation, which was at 9.4% in 2019, is projected to increase to 14% this year and converge toward 10.7% over 2021 (IMF, 2020). This tendency is due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Malawi, poverty has been increasing in rural areas where 85% of the population lives, compared to urban areas where it fell significantly from 25% to 17%. Unemployment was around 5.4% in 2019 (IMF, 2020). Table below shows some of the key economic performance indicators for the country.

Employment, entrepreneurship, gender, processing, value addition, value chains, youth

"Market feasibility study for value addition: A case for Mzimba, Kasungu, Dowa and Rumphi districts in Malawi.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 6, page no.c444-c452, June-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2406257.pdf

"Market feasibility study for value addition: A case for Mzimba, Kasungu, Dowa and Rumphi districts in Malawi.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 6, page no. ppc444-c452, June-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2406257.pdf