The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and its partners are expanding climate-resilient chickpea seed production across Southern Africa as farmers face rising fertilizer costs, climate pressures and supply chain disruptions affecting food systems.

Supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations through the Benefit-Sharing Fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the initiative is being implemented in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique in partnership with national agricultural institutions and Milele Agro-Processors.

The program focuses on strengthening food and nutrition security while improving livelihoods for vulnerable farming communities in dryland regions increasingly challenged by higher agricultural production costs and unpredictable weather conditions.

Chickpea is gaining attention as a lower-input crop option because it requires less nitrogen fertilizer than many cereal crops. The crop also is seeing growing demand in domestic and export markets because of its nutritional value, drought tolerance and income potential.

ICRISAT Director General Himanshu Pathak said resilient legume crops are becoming increasingly important as fertilizer prices and production costs continue to rise globally. He said the initiative also aligns with Malawi’s crop diversification efforts aimed at improving food and income security.

The project is designed to strengthen market linkages across the chickpea value chain by connecting research institutions, extension systems, seed producers, processors and buyers.

Although chickpea production in Malawi is concentrated primarily in the Southern Region, ICRISAT said additional opportunities exist in suitable agroecological areas across the Central and Northern regions, creating potential for expanded production and increased market supply.

The regional initiative is being coordinated by ICRISAT scientist and legume breeder James Mwololo, who said farmers across Southern Africa are increasingly seeking crops capable of performing under harsher climatic conditions while still delivering reliable yields and market returns.

According to ICRISAT, average chickpea yields in Malawi currently stand at about 833 kilograms per hectare, while improved varieties have the potential to produce up to 3 metric tons per hectare.

The organization projects that increased access to quality seed could help national chickpea production in Malawi grow more than threefold from the 2022 baseline of 2,570 metric tons. The number of farming households participating in production also could rise from 22,000 to more than 66,000 by 2027.

Growing commercial demand for chickpea is also creating opportunities for agribusinesses and regional export markets as processors seek more reliable and climate-resilient supply chains.

Source: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, "ICRISAT Expands Climate-Resilient Chickpea Production in Southern Africa Amid Rising Market Demand"