African nations advance agricultural value addition and agro-processing

African nations are implementing various initiatives to boost agricultural value addition and food security through agro-processing.

In Malawi, the Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism is working to link root and tuber crop producers, such as cassava and potato farmers, to local and international markets. The goal is to increase commercialisation and diversify the food base beyond maize, especially as El Niño concerns rise. The International Potato Centre is also supporting this through an 8 million Euro project funded by the Embassy of Ireland, targeting 60,000 beneficiaries across 16 districts.

In Namibia, the government is advancing its ‘14-Region Factory Plan’ to establish decentralized manufacturing plants aligned with regional resources. This includes plans for a watermelon processing plant in the Kavango East region and mango juice production in the Zambezi region. These efforts aim to achieve 80% local food self-sufficiency by 2030 through increased local processing of agricultural products.