Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the government of Malawi on growing alternative crops other than tobacco such as (a) tea and (b) maize.

The UK has regular discussions with the Government of Malawi on the reforms needed to diversify Malawi’s agricultural base. During my recent visit to Malawi, I urged the Malawian Government to make progress on the policy environment for agribusiness, and particularly emphasised the need for reform to maize markets.

The UK provides particular support to the expansion of oilseeds and rice as alternative crops. Through the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund we also support a tea business, and through AgDevCo we invest in groundnuts, sugar, paprika/chillies and macadamia nuts.