The Lower Shire Valley, in southern Malawi, is often synonymous with catastrophe and despair. Season after season, families here endure the double burden of prolonged droughts followed by destructive floods, a cycle that keeps thousands of smallholder households trapped in poverty and food insecurity. Yet within this harsh reality, a story of hope is emerging – one that could see this valley transformed into Malawi’s food basket.

That hope came into focus during the 2025 Malawi Soybean Tour. The two day event, which was organized by the Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL) and Agricane, with support from Embassy of Ireland through Palladium’s Growth Poles Project, brought together more than 100 stakeholders – including farmers, processors, technology providers, researchers, government departments, traditional leaders, and development partners – for a rare opportunity to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and explore ways of strengthening Malawi’s soybean value chain.

The event was a space for honest conversations, where processors voiced their frustrations about raw material shortages, farmers learnt about new technologies and practices, and researchers demonstrated solutions in real time. From factory floors in Blantyre to the green fields of the Shire Valley, the tour made clear both the challenges holding back the soybean sector and the opportunities for rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth resilient to climate shocks.

With funding from the Embassy of Ireland under Growth Poles, Palladium connects the private sector with local farmers to promote resilience and economic investment, thus ensuring lasting and sustainable growth across the country while addressing poverty and food security.

Processors Sound the Alarm

Each visit highlighted impressive investments and industrial capacity. Yet, one message was loud and clear: supply is failing to keep up with demand. Malawi has the processing capacity for over 800,000 metric tons of soybean annually, but actual production lags far behind at just 175,000 – 265,000 tons.

“To run our plant at full capacity, we need 160,000 to 180,000 tons of soybean each year,” explained Richard Cheleko, Head of Human Resources at Bakhresa Malawi. “Unfortunately, yields remain too low, and this season we could not procure enough soy. What we urgently need are improved, well-researched varieties with higher yields and better protein content.”

Other processors echoed this concern. Without a stronger and more reliable supply base, they risk operating far below capacity, importing raw materials, and draining Malawi’s scarce foreign exchange. The consequences ripple across the economy, affecting job creation, food security, and industrial growth.

Research Meets Irrigation

The second day of the tour shifted the conversation from challenges to solutions. At Agricane’s Sande and Sagowa Farms in the Shire Valley, participants explored demonstration plots featuring EcoGen’s biofertilizer, SeedCo’s improved soybean varieties, Farmers Organization’s productivity enhancing input, as well as SIL’s “Soy Doctor,” the Pan African Variety Trials, and SMART Farm technologies. Here, the benefits of research-driven innovation and irrigation-based production were on full display.

For many, the sight of chest-high winter soybeans was eye-opening. “It is all about potential,” remarked Peter Goldsmith, Director of the Soybean Innovation Lab. “When we started in 2013, people told us soybeans could not grow in winter in Malawi. Yet today we are seeing yields with irrigation. Profitability is no longer out of reach, the challenge is to make sure more farmers adopt these practices quickly.”

In partnership with Palladium on a previous project, SIL’s work over the past decade has transformed Malawi’s soybean landscape. From a single outdated variety available ten years ago, farmers now have access to seven new, high-yielding varieties. Coupled with SIL’s technical expertise in pest management, seed systems, and agronomy, these investments are equipping farmers with tools to meet market demand.

The government’s Shire Valley Transformation Program (SVTP) is the other half of the solution. By opening 43,370 hectares of irrigated farmland, out of which 31,000 is dedicated for smallholder cooperatives, the SVTP will provide the scale farmers need to expand production. “Soybean is one of the key value chains in our farm business plans,” said Limbani Gomani, Acting Project Coordinator of SVTP. “With improved seed and modern technologies, farmers will earn more on the market while processors secure reliable supplies.”

Together, through Growth Pole’s support, SIL’s science and SVTP’s irrigation are laying the foundation for a thriving soybean value chain that connects smallholders to industrial markets.

Tradition Embraces Transformation

Community ownership has been central to building confidence in this new chapter. Traditional Authority M’gabu admitted that many chiefs and farmers were initially hesitant about the SVTP’s approach, which encourages farmers to form cooperatives and consolidate small plots into larger, more commercially viable estates. “At first there was resistance, but today I can say the program is a reality. Once fully operational, it will not only transform the Shire Valley but also contribute significantly to changing the economy of Malawi,” he said.

TA M’gabu emphasized the importance of research, adding that: “As we wait for irrigation to roll out, we must ensure that when the water comes, it is used efficiently with proper systems and technologies in place. Without research, progress becomes guesswork, and we cannot afford that.”

Unlocking Malawi’s Soybean Future

By the end of the tour, the message was clear: Malawi’s soybean sector is at a turning point. Farmers are eager to produce more, processors are desperate for supply, researchers are bringing solutions, and government is investing in infrastructure to make it possible. Ireland’s support through Palladium’s Growth Poles Project has been instrumental in bringing these players together and sparking a new momentum.

For farmers, the impact could be life-changing: more food at home, more income from sales, and the chance to pay school fees or improve their houses. For processors, it is the assurance of steady supply chains that unlock industrial growth and reduce costly imports. For the nation, it is about creating jobs, earning foreign exchange, and taking a step closer to food self-sufficiency and economic prosperity.

As Goldsmith observed, “Soybean production in Africa is growing faster than anywhere else in the world. Malawi is right at the centre of this growth story.

The adoption of new technologies is happening, and the market is hungry. The time to accelerate is now.”

From Uncertainty to Opportunity

The 2025 Malawi Soybean Tour was more than a showcase of fields and factories. It was a wake-up call about what is holding back Malawi’s soybean sector, but also a demonstration of what is already working. It provided a platform for dialogue that rarely happens, linking research to practice, and industry demand to smallholder potential.

With soybean at its centre, the valley is poised to feed households, fuel industries, and power Malawi’s economy. The 2025 Soybean Tour was not just a showcase – it was a turning point, proving that when research, irrigation, and markets align, transformation is not only possible but inevitable.

The Growth Poles Project 2.0 is a partnership between Palladium and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through its Embassy in Malawi that is accelerating environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, resilient, and more inclusive wealth generation by mobilizing rural-based private sector investments and partnerships with anchor firms (growth poles) and their surrounding communities, smallholder farmer organizations, cooperatives, and small and medium enterprises in a growth pole approach, with a youth and gender lens. For more information, contact Palladium’s Team Leader in Malawi, Tate Munro at tate.munro@thepalladiumgroup.com