New Alliance Policy Acceleration Support: Malawi (NAPAS: Malawi) Activity Quarterly Report April 1, 2018 to June 30, 2018

The activity is being implemented by Michigan State University (MSU) in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the University of Pretoria (UP). NAPAS aims to enable the Government of Malawi to implement the policy reforms agenda it committed to under the New Alliance Country Cooperation Framework for Malawi. The activity has three components: Policy Formulation, Policy Communication, and Capacity Strengthening. During the third quarter of the reporting period, covering April 1, 2018 to June 30, 2018, significant progress was made in each of these components. In Policy Formulation, the NAPAS team worked closely with the Department of Agricultural Research Services to revise the National Fertilizer Policy (NFP). A writeshop was held in Salima from May 16th to 19th, 2018, where participants from various stakeholders provided comments and suggestions. The revised draft policy proposed the establishment of a National Fertiliser Commission to regulate the fertilizer industry. In addition to the NFP, the NAPAS team also worked on the Agriculture Sector Food and Nutrition Strategy (ASFNS) and the Farmer Organizations Development Strategy (FODS). Two writeshops were organized for FODS, one from April 3rd to 6th, 2018, and another from June 24th to 30th, 2018. The writeshops were attended by participants from various organizations, including NASFAM, MUSCO, and CISANET. The internal validation of the FODS is expected to be completed in August 2018, followed by external validation in September 2018. The NAPAS team also made progress in Policy Communication, presenting value chain studies to USAID on May 23rd, 2018. The launch of the National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) took place on June 13th, 2018, where the NAPAS: Malawi activity displayed policies, strategies, and value chain studies that it has produced to support the Ministry over the last three and a half years. In Capacity Strengthening, the NAPAS team supported the finalization of the MoAIWD Strategic Plan, which was held at La-Riviera Hotel in Mangochi from May 29th to June 2nd, 2018. The strategy is expected to be approved and adopted by the Ministry in August 2018. The NAPAS team also supported the finalization of the National Agriculture Investment Plan, which was held at La-Riviera Hotel in Mangochi from April 3rd to 6th, 2018. The NAPAS: Malawi activity has made significant progress in the third quarter of the reporting period, with notable achievements in Policy Formulation, Policy Communication, and Capacity Strengthening. The activity continues to support the Government of Malawi in implementing the policy reforms agenda under the New Alliance Country Cooperation Framework for Malawi.