Bayer has announced that upon completion of its merger with Mosanto, farmers will have a diverse portfolio of farm inputs. The news follows after Bayer, a drugs and crop chemicals company from Germany bought stakes in a seeds firm from the United States, known as Monsanto, resulting into a merger.

Bayer Malawi Country Manager, Gift Kawamba, revealed that there will be a one-stop shop for both seed and chemical requirements. “We will bring all these products and services closer to the farmer at an affordable price.” said Kawamba, as the Deputy Director for Crop Development in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Eviness Nyalugwe, commended the Bayer’s pledge to seed diversity.

The promise of seed diversification is timely, as Malawi has faced constraints on its cash crops (mainly tobacco), hence farmers have been urged to diversify their farming. While farmers may fear that other crops are not as profitable, an agricultural exports market has been identified by the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC), a development that will enrich Malawi; more than K390bn to be exact.

MITC confirmed that there is a growing demand for soya pieces, plastic products, sunflower cake, coffee and more which have markets in Zimbabwe, Egypt, South Africa, China, Zambia and many more.