As rising fertilizer prices, climate pressures, and global supply chain disruptions place growing strain on food systems, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners are scaling up climate-resilient chickpea seed production across Southern Africa to boost livelihoods and improve food and nutrition security for vulnerable farming communities.
Supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Benefit-sharing Fund (BSF) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), the initiative is being implemented in Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique in partnership with national agricultural institutions and Milele Agro-processors.
The initiative is particularly relevant at a time when geopolitical instability, fertilizer supply disruptions, and rising production costs are affecting vulnerable dryland farming systems across Southern Africa.
Unlike many cereal crops, chickpea requires lower nitrogen fertilizer inputs, making it an attractive option for farmers facing rising production costs and climate pressures.
The crop is also gaining momentum across domestic and export markets due to its nutritional value, adaptability to dry conditions, and income-generating potential.
Director General of ICRISAT, Dr Himanshu Pathak, said the initiative highlights the growing importance of resilient dryland crops and the critical role of agricultural science and innovation in helping farming communities respond to mounting climate and economic pressures, while also supporting the Government of Malawi’s crop diversification agenda to strengthen food and income security.
“With fertilizer prices and agricultural production costs continuing to rise globally, resilient legume crops such as chickpea are becoming increasingly important in helping farmers across Malawi and Southern Africa maintain productivity, strengthen food security, and reduce dependence on costly agricultural inputs,” said Dr Pathak.
The initiative also supports stronger market linkages by connecting research institutions, extension systems, seed producers, agrodealers, processors, and buyers across the value chain.
While chickpea production in Malawi is currently concentrated mainly in the Southern Region, significant potential also exists in suitable agroecological areas across the Central and Northern regions, presenting opportunities to scale production and meet growing market demand.
The regional initiative is being coordinated by ICRISAT scientist, legume breeder and principal investigator of the project, Dr James Mwololo, who said farmers across Southern Africa are increasingly seeking crops that can perform under harsher climatic conditions while still delivering reliable yields and market value.
“Across many dryland regions, farmers are facing rising production costs, declining soil fertility, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
“Chickpea is emerging as a strategic crop for dryland agriculture because it offers farmers a viable pathway to maintain productivity and incomes under increasingly difficult growing conditions.
“Farmers in Malawi are currently achieving average chickpea yields of around 833 kg per hectare, despite improved varieties having the potential to produce up to 3 tons per hectare.
“With greater access to quality seed, national production is expected to increase more than threefold from the 2022 baseline of 2,570 metric tons, while the number of farming households reached could expand from 22,000 to more than 66,000 by 2027, ” said Dr Mwololo.
The growing commercial demand for chickpea, is also creating new opportunities for agribusinesses and regional export markets, particularly as processors seek more reliable and climate-resilient supply chains.
Gloria Pekani, CEO of Malawi-based Milele Agro-processors, said the crop holds significant potential for both domestic consumption and export markets across the region.
“Our partnership with ICRISAT goes beyond traditional improved seed development.
“It is also about creating both stronger market opportunities and supporting livelihoods for farmers, processors, and communities that increasingly depend on resilient crops such as chickpea,” said Ms Pekani.
ICRISAT Country Representative for Malawi, Dr Sam Njoroge, concluded that the growing importance of chickpea reflects the need for more resilient and diversified farming systems capable of supporting both livelihoods and long-term food security across Southern Africa and beyond.