A latest study report by Mwapata Institute has recommended for promotion of insect farming, especially Black Soldier Fly (BSF), as an alternative source of animal feed. The study has established that BSF is a cost-effective alternative feed with huge economic benefit to farmers. Our Assistant Bureau Chief SUZGO CHITETE caught up with one of the researchers in this project DR. MAGGIE MUNTHALI for more information.

Munthali: There is need to provide farmers and entrepreneurs access to capital

What was the motivation to focus on Black Soldier Fly?

In 2020, Mwapata conducted a survey to assess the challenges and opportunities in the aquaculture sector focusing on the small-scale fish farmers. The study found that low quality, unavailability and expensive fish feed are some of the main bottlenecks affecting the growth of small-scale aquaculture in Malawi. The use of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) emerged as a potential solution to this challenge. We implemented this study because BSF has gained attention around the globe as it offers numerous tangible benefits, including high-quality animal feed, food and nutritional security, job-creation, poverty-reduction, and environmental sustainability. The starting point is the production of BSF but the knowledge of the benefits of BSF farming in Malawi is scarce despite being perceived as an emerging and profitable farming enterprise.

Why do you think farmers should consider this as an alternative?

Because it has multiple benefits. The farming of BSF itself is profitable, and BSF provides the more reliable, profitable and ultimately more sustainable animal/fish protein source implying that farmers can integrate BSF on their existing farms. Farmers can also consider BSF farming as their main enterprise because the demand for BSF larvae is likely to increase. The byproducts (frass) of BSF can also be used by farmers as organic fertiliser for their crops, for example, maize and horticultural crops.  Further, rearing of BSF larvae requires less land and water compared to other protein sources such as soy or beef, making them a more sustainable option.

How do you explain this farming. Is it not labour-intensive and technically-demanding for low in-come farmers?

BSF farming is not labour-intensive, but technically demanding to successfully manage the business. Essential knowledge is required to start and manage a successful BSF farm. Farmers need specialised knowledge and skills to reliably and continuously produce black soldier fly (BSF) larvae if they intend to commercialise their business. BSF larvae production requires specific infrastructure and technology, such as insect rearing facilities, feed preparation and storage, and waste management systems.

Your report points to the fact that this is a big deal in other countries. Why do we seem to lag behind as a country even when there seems to be high demand for animal/livestock feed in Malawi?

BSF farming is a big deal in other countries such as Kenya and Uganda. In these countries, BSF is being farmed at both small and large scales. Malawi is lagging behind despite the high demand for animal/fish feed due to lack of technical knowledge on the propagation of BSF larvae and profitability of the enterprise. Our study has demonstrated that BSF is viable at both small and large scale. The other good news is that we have experts at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources who have recently been training farmers on how to propagate BSF. We also have a farmer, Kondwani Kayira who has two establishments in Mchinji (Kanyazulu Farm) and in Blantyre (Happy Cow Farm) where he is farming BSF and mentoring other farmers, too. However, for Malawi to catch-up with other countries, there is need to provide farmers and entrepreneurs access to capital and formal credit to enhance the uptake of BSF farming and also establish a regulatory framework to build consumer confidence in the safe and effective use of insects as animal and aquaculture feed. Farmers should also be trained on how to use the larvae on their fish or livestock farms.

After this report, what next?

Mwapata is going to organise a number of outreach events to engage and disseminate the findings to various stakeholders, including policy-makers in the animal feed sector to create in-depth awareness of BSF. Safety and effective promotional use of insects as animal and aquaculture feed requires conducive and supportive policies, standards, laws, legislations and a regulatory environment.  We need a policy breakthrough in the promotion of insect farming and policy-makers are key in the development of such regulatory frameworks. Some countries within the sub-Saharan Africa, for example, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, have already made some progress in regulating insects as feed and Rwanda is in the process of developing one.

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