By The Forum

Salima Central West legislator Enoch Phale has called for the revival of Malawi’s cotton industry, arguing that it remains an overlooked but high-potential sector for revenue mobilisation and foreign exchange generation.

Speaking in response to the Mid-Year Budget Statement, Phale said national discussions on agricultural industrialisation continue to sideline cotton despite its proven potential. “One of the potential cash crops is cotton. We have tried other crops like tobacco, but cotton can generate forex,” he said.

Phale said the first step is to motivate farmers to return to cotton production by addressing bottlenecks, especially the high cost of hybrid seed. He also urged government to revive ginneries in districts with significant cotton farming activity.

“We need to relook at the policy. It may be time to consider repealing the Cotton Act to allow flexibility and better incentives for farmers, so the country can generate forex,” he added.

Phale stressed that sustainable forex generation demands serious agricultural industrialisation. Malawi, he said, must export finished products rather than small volumes of raw materials.

He warned that without industrialisation, the country will continue facing persistent foreign reserve shortages and their associated economic pressures.

Using tomatoes as an example, Phale said Malawi loses value because it lacks processing factories.

“Tomato is plenty in my constituency and across the country, but much of it goes to waste because we cannot consume it all in raw form,” he said.

On rising fertiliser prices, Phale urged the government to strengthen extension services to help farmers adopt organic fertiliser production, reducing dependence on costly imported chemical fertilisers that strain the country’s limited forex.

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