Chitedze Research Station Be A Commission- Jumbe

Member of Parliament for Salima Central, Felix Jumbe says Malawi can enhance functions of Research Stations and also put to an end issues of inadequate funding for these institutions by turning Chitedze Research Station to become National Research Commission of Malawi. 

Jumbe also Chairperson for Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Food and Water Development, said in an interview that, at the moment Chitedze Research Station and all other research stations in the country are failing to function as it were in the past because of lack of Funding.

He said following the recent de-linking of Chitedze Research Station from Luanar turning the Research Stations as Authority will be the best way of improving effiencies than keeping them within Government Departments under Ministry of Agriculture.

The Research Stations in Malawi are among Government Departments under Ministry of Agriculture.

However, Hon Jumbe said there is need to reorganize these institutions whose organization structures were designed in 1960’s for them to deliver with efficiency at this time.

He therefore said the best alternative to the funding for research stations and ensure efficiency is to make them a standalone institution which can carry out agricultural research tasks for private sector at a fee. 

“We would rather want to see Chitedze Research Station becoming a National Research Commission of Malawi that would cover, Lunyangwa, Bvumbwe and all the research stations to be under their control” said Jumbe

He said other countries like Zambia and Kenya have done the same.

“If Chitedze become a Commission, will enable it to interface with private sector undertake work of Private sector on payment basis and make them be able to make money own their own.” He said 

“Chitedze Research Station is not functioning as it were in the past because of lack of Funding. But, to me lack of funding is lack of planning and lack of thinking; that we need to reform Chitedze and other research stations so that they could be operating own their own.

Chitedze has got a lot of land and capacity. They can undertake research for different companies on different fields and this can be at a fee.” 

He emphasize that this will help government agenda of breeding quality seeds and improved varieties and breed of animals.

He also said his committee will take this matter further by interface with the Minister to make him understand its importance so that the ministry can make a proposal of turning all the Research stations to become Commission.