REPUBLIC OF MALAWI

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development

Agricultural Sector Wide Approach – Support Project

Pest Management Plan

DRAFT REPORT

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Management

Capital Hill

P O Box 30134

Capital City

Lilongwe 3

MALAWI

Updated January2012

1

K. Kafatia

REPUBLIC OF MALAWI

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development

Agricultural Sector Wide Approach – Support Project

Pest Management Plan

DRAFT REPORT

Client:Consultant:

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water ManagementKent Kafatia

Capital Hill

P O Box 30134P.O. Box 31271

Capital CityCapital City

Lilongwe 3Lilongwe 3

MALAWIMalawi

Updated January2012

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CHAPTER ONE:INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1THE NATIONAL CONTEXT

1.2THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

1.3THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR WIDE APPROACH SUPPORT PROJECT (ASWAP-SP)

1.4PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE

1.5PROJECT COMPONENTS AND ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Component 1: Institutional Development:

Component 2: Sustainable Food Security:

Component 3: Project Coordination:

Component 4: Improvement and maintenance of unpaved rural roads:

1.6PROJECT IMPLEMENTING AGENCY

1.7PROJECT COST ESTIMATES

1.8PROPOSED PROJECT ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

1.9INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

1.10JUSTIFICATION OF THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN

1.11METHODOLOGY FOR PREPARATION OF THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN

1.11.1Field Investigations, Consultations and Literature Review

1.12FORMAT OF THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN

CHAPTER TWO:PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK

2.1AGRICULTURE AND PEST MANAGEMENT IN MALAWI

2.2PEST MANAGEMENT (OPERATIONAL POLICY 4.09)

2.3PRINCIPLES IN SELECTING PESTICIDES

2.4PESTICIDES TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE ASWAP - SP

2.5PESTICIDES MANAGEMENT: LEGISLATION AND REGISTRATION

2.5.1International Policies

2.5.2National Policies

2.6USE OF NON-CHEMICAL PLANT PROTECTION METHODS

2.7ADVANTAGES OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER THREE: STEPS IN SETTING UP INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

3.1IDENTIFY THE IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

3.2DECIDE ON THE SCALE OF IMPLEMENTATION

3.3REVIEW AND SET MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES FOR THE IPMP

3.4ANALYSE CURRENT HOUSEKEEPING, MAINTENANCE AND PEST CONTROL PRACTICES

3.5ESTABLISH A SYSTEM OF REGULAR IPM INSPECTIONS

3.6DEFINE THE TREATMENT POLICY SELECTION

3.7ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

3.8DEVELOP FARMER TRAINING PLANS AND POLICIES

3.9TRACK PROGRESS AND REWARD SUCCESS

CHAPTER FOUR:IMPACTS OF PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

4.1POSITIVE IMPACTS OF CHEMICAL PESTICIDES

4.2NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF CHEMICAL PESTICIDES

4.3POSITIVE IMPACTS OF NON CHEMICAL PESTICIDE

4.3.1Positive impacts of biological controls

4.3.2Positive impacts of mechanical methods

4.3.3Positive impacts of manual methods

4.4NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF NON CHEMICAL PESTICIDES

4.4.1Negative impacts of biological controls

4.4.2Negative impacts of mechanical methods

4.4.3Negative impacts of manual methods

4.5POSITIVE IMPACTS OF IPM

4.2COMMON MAIZE PEST PROBLEMS AND RECOMMENDED IPM PRACTICES

CHAPTER FIVE:PEST MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLANS

5.1PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN

5.2PEST MONITORING PLAN

CHAPTER 6:CAPACITY AND TRAINING NEEDS

FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IPMP

6.1CAPACITY NEEDS

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

Appendix 2.1:Internationally accepted standards on pesticides

Appendix 2.2:Pesticides for Registration Consideration in Malawi

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K. Kafatia

LIST OF ACRONYMS

ADDAgricultural Development Division

ADMARC Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation

ADP-SP Agriculture Development Program – Subsidy Program

AEDC Agriculture Extension Development Coordinator

AEDO Agriculture Extension Development Officer

AEZ Agricultural Ecological Zones

AFAdditional Financing

AGRESAgriculture Gender Roles and Extension Support Services

AISPAgriculture Input Subsidy Program

ASWApAgricultural Sector Wide Approach

ASWAp-SPAgricultural Sector Wide Approach Support Project

ATCC Agricultural Technology Clearing Committee

AVO Agriculture Veterinary Officer

CAADPComprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program

CFACore Function Analysis

CLRCOChief Lands Resources Conservation Officer,

CPMCommission on Phytosanitary Measures

CSA Common Services Assessment

DADO District Agriculture Development Officer

DAES Department of Agricultural Extension Services

DAHLD Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development

DEA Director of Environmental Affairs

DEC District Executive Committee

DHSDemographic and Health Survey

EAExtension Area

EADEnvironmental Affairs Department

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

EMC Executive Management Committee

EMP Environmental management plan

EPA Extension Planning Area

ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

ESMFEnvironmental and Social Management Framework

EUEuropean Union

FAOFood Agriculture Organisation

GDPGross domestic Product

GoM Government of Malawi

IDA International Development Association

IGAIncome Generating Activities

IHS2Integrated Household Survey 2

IMFInternational Monitory Fund

IPM Integrated Pest Management

IPMPIntegrated Pest Management Plan

IPMMPIntegrated Pest Management and Monitoring Plan

IPPCInternational Plant Protection Convention

ISCRAL Scheme for the Conservation and Rehabilitation of African Lands

ISP Input Subsidy Program

ISPMInternational Standards for Phytosanitary Measures

LHTCLand Husbandry Training Centre

LRCOLand Resources and Conservation Officer

MAWTCO Malawi Agricultural Warehousing and Trading Company

MBS Malawi Bureau of Standards

MDTFMulti-Donor Trust Fund

MGDSMalawi Growth and Development Strategy

MAFS Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

MAIWDMinistry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development

[formerlyMAFS Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security]

MTPIMinistry of Transport and Public Infrastructure

MPRS Malawi Poverty and Reduction Strategy

NACNational AIDS Commission

NHBGNational Herbarium and Botanic Gardens

NRCMNational Research Council of Malawi

NCE National Council for the Environment

NEAP National Environmental Action Plan

OPC Office of the President and Cabinet

PCBPesticides Control Board

PDOProject Development Objective

PLRCO Principal Land Resources Conservation Officer

RARoads Authority

SADCSouthern African Development committee

SALRCOSeniorAssistantLand Resources and Conservation Officer

SAFEX South African Commodity Exchange

SLRCO SeniorLand Resources Conservation Officer

SPGI Sustainable Productivity Growth Initiative

SWAp Sector Wide Approach

TCE Technical Committee on the Environment

WB World Bank

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Agriculture is the single most important sector of the Malawi economy, contributing about 38% of value-added to GDP, employing 85% of the workforce, and contributing 80% of foreign exchange earnings in 2006. Agriculture continues to be the primary source of livelihood for the estimated 80% of the country’s poor who are based in rural areas. Sustained improvements in agricultural productivity and stable food supplies remain essential for reducing high rates of malnutrition and poverty in Malawi.

The Government of the Republic of Malawi has requested Additional Financing (AF) from the International Development Association (IDA) for the implementation of the Agricultural Sector Wide Approach Support Project (ASWAp-SP).

The project is already financed by an IDA credit, a GEF Grant and a Kingdom of Norway Grant. The additional financing is proposed to: (i)scale up on-going activities to increase the number of farmers receiving support from the project; (ii)include new interventions in the field of agricultural diversification and access to markets; and, (iii)undertake a minor restructuring (change of project name, revision to results framework, closing date extension).

The ADP-SP has four components: Component 1: Institutional Development, will strengthen the capacity of the MAFS to develop and implement systems for management of the sector and to establish a Sector Wide Approach (SWAp); Component 2: Sustainable Smallholder Productivity Growth, is aimed at sustainable increase of land, water and nutrient use efficiency, in maize based smallholder production systems; Component 3: Project Coordination is aimed at ensuring efficient use of resources, in accordance with the project’s objectives and procedures and, Component 4 (new): Improvement and maintenance of unpaved rural roads.

Part of the proceeds of the ASWAp – SP will be directed towards the development of an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP), which is fundamentally a progressive environmentally friendly approach to pest management. TheIPMP ensures safety, efficiency, and amounts to pragmatically wise pest management acumen.

Consultation with a wide range of people and institutions were conductedand revealed that inadequate funding is the primary challenge to the establishment of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Systems.

This IPMP provides steps towards the establishment of IPM approaches to the project impact districts which include Chitipa, Salima, Mwanza Ntcheu and Chikhwawa as follows:

  1. Identification of the implementation team;
  1. Deciding on scale of implementation;
  1. Setting goals and measurable objectives for the IPM program;
  1. Analysis of current housekeeping, maintenance and pest control practices;
  1. Establishing a systems for regular IPM inspections;
  1. Defining treatment selection policy;
  1. Establishing communication protocols;
  1. Developing worker training plans and policies; and
  1. Tracking progress and rewarding success

This IPMP investigates several alternatives for pesticide control,including biological treatment, mechanical and manual methods with the ultimate objective of reducing the application of chemical pesticides and replacing them with more environmentally friendly options.

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K. Kafatia

CHAPTER ONE:INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1THE NATIONAL CONTEXT

Malawi has a population of about 13 million and is one of the poorest countries in the world; with average per capita income of only US$170. 52 percent of the population lives below the poverty line (Integrated Household Survey2004/2005); and poverty rates have only marginally improved since the 1997/98 household survey. GDP per capita incomes increased at only one percent annual rate between 1996 and 2005.

One of the consequences of the prevailing poverty situation is persistently high malnutrition. Approximately 43% of the children are stunted, and 22% are underweight.

1.2THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

Agriculture remains the main source of growth and exports in Malawi. With 85 percent of the population residing in the rural areas, the sector accounts for over 80 percent of the country’s employment, over one-third of GDP, and about 80 percent of merchandise exports.

The primary staple food for most of these households is maize. Over 70 percent of all farmers in the country cultivate less than one hectare (ha) and a significant number of these farmers still struggle to produce enough food to meet their annual consumption requirements.

The country continues to experience dry spells, especially in the southern region, rendering a significant number of households in these regions perpetually food insecure. In areas where production has been good, poor roads have often prevented the marketing of surpluses.

With the current low prices in the tobacco market, Malawi is facing a dramatic decrease in export revenues, leading to severe foreign exchange constraints, while leaving many tobacco farmers in need of alternative sources of cash income.

There is thus an urgent need to help the country to diversify the maize and tobacco-based production systems, and to encourage traditional (often subsistence) smallholder farmers to engage in more market oriented agriculture, through better market access and integration into agricultural value chains.

High population density and poverty have led to significant pressure and degradation of Malawi’s natural resource base (land, water and forests). The growing population increases the land area under cultivation and exploits forests and woodlands for firewood and charcoal production. Deforestation, resulting in increased incidences of soil erosion, run-off and flash floods, and sedimentation are serious threats to the environment and natural resource base. These problems are a direct result of unsustainable land use and management practices, and increased use of chemical fertilizers without complementary soil conservation measures.

Malawi’s agricultural development strategy is detailed in the Agricultural Sector Wide Approach (ASWAp) investment plan drafted by the Government of the Republic of Malawi (GoM) together with its Development Partners. The largest and most costly investment program in the sector is the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) targeted towards the poorer households, to attain food security. Notwithstanding the success of FISP, rates of malnutrition and especially stunting levels among children, remain high.

1.3THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR WIDE APPROACH SUPPORT PROJECT (ASWAP-SP)

The main development goal of the Government,described in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) in two medium term outcomes is food security. This goal is:

  1. food is available in sufficient quantities through domestic production or imports and;
  2. all Malawians have, at all times, physical and economic access to sufficient nutritious food required to lead a healthy and active life.

Both these objectives have been prioritized in the newly defined Agricultural Sector Wide Approach (ASWAp) recently prepared and adopted under the CAADP process.

The ASWAp is now the well recognised overall framework for investments across the agriculture sector. Co-financed by the World Bank, the GEF and the Kingdom of Norway, the Agricultural Development Programme – Support Project (ADP-SP) has played a crucial role in supporting the preparation of the ASWAp and now its effective implementation. As such, the project will be renamed the Agricultural Sector Wide Approach Support Project (ASWAp-SP).

The ASWAp-SP has three components: (i) Institutional development and capacity building in preparation for a SWAp in agriculture; (ii) Sustainable food security, to increase the land, water and nutrient use efficiency of maize based cropping systems and improve payoffs to the FISP, and to increase the resilience of the maize supply system to climate induced risks and shocks; and (iii) Project coordination.

The current project is financed by an IDA credit of US$32 million equivalent, a GEF grant of US$5.8 million and a Kingdom of Norway grant of NKr 50 million (approximately US$10 million equivalent). The project was approved by the Board on May 30, 2008, became effective on December 9, 2009, and is due to close on September 13, 2013. Norwegian funding allowed the Project to start on time, though on a smaller scale than initially planned, while Bank funding started more than a year late, due to delays in Parliament approval.

The proposed additional financing (AF) responds to the request from the GoM dated November 4th, 2011 to: (i) scale up on-going activities to increase the number of farmers receiving support from the project; (ii) include new interventions in the field of agricultural diversification and access to markets; and, (iii) undertake a minor restructuring (change of project name, revision to results framework andextension of closing date). The additional financing consists of two elements:

a)The establishment of a Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for other donors to co-finance the project through a pooled mechanism as part of this ASWAp process and congruent with the Paris Declaration on aid harmonization and alignment; The primary objective of the MDTF is to increase the project’s impact by scaling-up on-going activities supporting institutional development and capacity strengthening of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development; and research and extension activities for agricultural productivity increase.

b)An additional IDA credit to add new activities that will assist in achieving the project’s objectives, especially in the fields of agricultural diversification (promotion of legumes production and public-private partnership in agriculture); and market access (improvement and maintenance of unpaved rural roads);

The rationale for Additional Financing includes three main lines of reasoning.

(i)The ADP-SP had a somewhat slow and delayed start, but has now gained significant momentum and recognition, as it plays a crucial role in supporting the effective elaboration of the ASWAp and boosting sustainable agricultural growth and food security, while using the regular structures of MAIWD. This has induced an increasing number of development partners to contemplate co-financing. Scaling-up project activities and extending the project closure date would allow for a more comprehensive improvement of overall governance of the agricultural sector by building technical, managerial and administrative capacities in the recently formed MAIWD at national, regional and district levels, while it would also allow for de facto coordinated support to the ASWAp through the establishment of the proposed MDTF.

(ii)The additional financing and the additional co-financing together will allow for a much stronger increase in the efficiency, payoff and sustainable impact of the FISP and a major increase in the number of direct project beneficiaries.

(iii)The additional financing provides an opportunity to implement additional activities that (a) fit in the ASWAp, (b) considerably contribute to the Project Development Objective (PDO), and (c) may otherwise have to await financing through a new IDA agricultural investment project.

1.4PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE

The development objective of the ASWAp-SP is to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of investments aimed at food security and the agriculture led economic growth in the agricultural sector. The ASWAp-SP will:

(a)Strengthen institutional capabilities necessary to further develop and implement a harmonized and aligned investment framework, leading to a full-fledged SWAp in the agricultural sector;

(b)Improve land, water and nutrient use efficiency of maize based rain-fed cropping systems, supported by the Government’s Input Subsidy Program and;

(c)Improve the resilience of the maize supply system to cope with climate and market induced risks and shocks.

Success in achieving the objective will be measured by, among other things, increased sustainable productivity of maize based cropping systems, resulting from improved management of land, rainwater and nutrients.

1.5PROJECT COMPONENTS AND ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

The project has four components:

Component 1: Institutional Development:will strengthen the capacity of the MAIWD to develop and implement systems for management of the sector, and establishment of a Sector Wide Approach (SWAp). Under this component, the MDTF will contribute to the strengthening MAIWD administrative systems, particularly at the district level, with a strong focus on monitoring and evaluation systems; strengthening MAIWD’s capacities for ASWAp finalization and implementation. The additional IDA credit will focus on promoting land tenure security to encourage improved land management investments for agricultural productivity, by strengthening the land administration capacity.This would be a follow-up to activities included in the Community Based Rural Land Development Project (CBRLDP), which ended in September 2011.

Component 2: Sustainable Food Security:The objective of this component is sustainable improvement of national and household food security. The component is to support the implementation of three priority agendas outlined in the ASWAp-SP investment framework for enhancement of national food security. These are:

(a)Maize productivity growth;

(b)Sustainable land management and;

(c)Application of new tools in market based risk management.