KULIMA stands for ‘Kutukula Ulimi m’Malawi’, which means ‘promoting farming in Malawi’ in the country’s main local language, Chichewa. KULIMA aims to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and diversification of smallholder farmers based on market demand, while increasing income generation by farm enterprises and creating jobs through developing local value addition of raw agricultural products. It also seeks to stimulate better information supply on agricultural policy, investments and their outcomes to both government actors and the general public.
Within KULIMA Action, CGIAR Centers are working to make their expertise and technologies more easily available to more people. In coordination with GIZ and FAO, they provide guidance on the suitability of technologies and inputs in different agroecological zones in Malawi, successful agricultural practices, and the application of relevant innovations and technologies to address the issues affecting agricultural production systems in a holistic manner.
CIMMYT’s role within the project is to contribute towards increasing agricultural productivity and diversification through upscaling climate-smart agriculture technologies. To achieve this, CIMMYT supports production and utilization of drought tolerant and nutritious maize along with sustainable intensification practices that protect the soil and enhance soil fertility, commonly referred to as conservation agriculture. The focus is on creating demand for these technologies among smallholders by increasing awareness through farmer training, extension messaging and demonstrating the yield benefits of using drought tolerant versus unimproved non-drought tolerant varieties, and sustainable intensification practices versus conventional ones. CIMMYT is working in collaboration with NGOs and community-based organizations to train lead farmers and extension agents to reach out to smallholder farmers.
The project is financed under the 11th European Development Fund and is being implemented in ten districts of Chitipa, Chiradzulu, Karonga, Kasungu, Mzimba, Mulanje, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Salima and Thyolo.
Objectives
- Increase agricultural productivity and diversify production in a participatory, sustainable and climate-change resilient manner
- Establish agricultural value chains and create related income and employment opportunities
- Strengthen agricultural sector governance
Capacity development 