AquaFish and Invegrow seminar unveils vast potential of cannabis industry in Malawi

The recent seminar on Cannabis Opportunities in Malawi hosted by the Africa Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries (AquaFish-ACE) at LUANAR has revealed the immense potential of the cannabis industry in the country.

With the legalization of cannabis for medicinal and industrial use in Malawi, there are now many opportunities for entrepreneurs to invest in this sector The event featured Nebert Nyirenda, the Director of Invegrow Limited, as the keynote speaker. Invegrow Limited is the first cannabis company authorized by the Malawi government to produce the crop for both commercial and research purposes. During the seminar, the keynote address, Nyirenda discussed the opportunities that exist for entrepreneurs and investors in the cannabis industry. He pointed out that Malawi has favourable weather conditions for the cultivation of cannabis, which could make it one of the largest producers and exporters of cannabis in the region.

In addition, the expert mentioned that the demand for cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes is increasing globally, and Malawi has the potential to become a major supplier of medicinal cannabis as well as other products from industrial hemp “From the flowers we can extract items that can be used for medicinal purposes and other industrial products that can be used on the body such as toothpaste. From the stalks we can have items like cloth, blockboards, ceiling boards etc. We can as well shell the seeds and have grain that can be consumed raw, used in feed formulation for livestock and fish, just to mention a few,” said Nyirenda while also showing other hemp products that are being made in different countries. The seminar did not only discuss the opportunities but also cleared the misconceptions that have been there about cannabis. Nyirenda also refuted claims made by some quarters that the government rushed into legalizing cultivation of cannabis without finding markets.

“I wouldn’t agree with those who say we rushed. Business is about taking risks and making decisions so the country made a business decision that cannabis will be one if the cash crops that would be added but it doesn’t mean that it will bring millions of dollars in one day.” “There have to be steps and measures taken to make sure that all the elements that are important, all the risks that are involved need to be managed and translated into actions that activities that can support the rapid expansion of the cannabis industry in Malawi. It’s the whole system that needs to be worked on just like we did with other crops,” added Nyirenda.

Dean of the Natural Resources Faculty at LUANAR, Dr Daniel Sikawa said the discussion was very important and came at a right time as there are a lot of misconceptions about cannabis production in Malawi.

“This is a very important discussion ands has come at a right time. The presentation has cleared the misconceptions that are there such as markets for the cannabis products.” He said. One of the exciting possibilities that emerged from the seminar is the integration of cannabis with fish farming in aquaponics. This innovative approach to farming involves cultivating plants and fish in a symbiotic environment, with the plants providing a natural filtration system for the water in which the fish live.

According to Dr Sikawa, LUANAR through the AquaFish centre is collaborating with Invegrow to continue conducting further research in areas such as value addition and production of the crop in aquaponics.

“LUANAR being a Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and fisheries science, we have seen a huge area in which we can cooperate which is producing cannabis in aquaponics. We do have an aquaponics facility at our fish farm which we can utilize to produce cannabis for Malawi. We can try both the industrial and medicinal hemp,” said Dr Sikawa.

Dr Sikawa believes that integrating cannabis with fish farming in aquaponics could be a gamechanger for Malawi’s agriculture sector. The seminar also highlighted the need for research and innovation in the cannabis industry. The experts discussed the importance of conducting research to identify the various strains of cannabis that are most suited for cultivation in Malawi.

However, many participants cried foul on the license fees for producing the crop, saying it is prohibiting small scale farmers to venture into cannabis production. Speaking in an interview, Dr Sikawa concurred with the sentiments and has since said LUANAR will engage with relevant authorities to bring down the fees so that many farmers can make profits out of this industry.

“The license fees for producing cannabis in Malawi is very huge and the expert has already indicated that small-scale farmers cannot make profits annually with such fees. It only gives advantage to large scale farmers and therefore we need to engage and work with government to review these very high costs of registration so that we should also have participation of small-scale farmers.” He said.

The seminar on cannabis opportunities in Malawi was a success as it brought together various stakeholders interested in exploring the opportunities in the cannabis industry in the country.

With the right policies and support from government, Malawi has the potential to become a major player in the global cannabis industry, while also improving the lives of local farmers and communities.