Trip Report Malawi and Mozambique May 30 – June 14, 2003

Abstract

The 2002-2007 proposal for the Bean/Cowpea CRSP Eastern and Southern Africa Region outlines a plan to study bean and cowpea marketing in the region. The 2002-2003 work plan specifies that an initial step in that study will be to describe bean and cowpea market structure in the area where Malawi and Mozambique share borders. To carryout that work plan Dr. Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer and Manuel Filipe visited Malawi and Mozambique in early June 2003. In Malawi they were joined by Dr. Patrick Kambewa, Chancellor College, Zomba. The general objective of this trip was to create the basis for starting a data collection process for the Bean/Cowpea CRSP research work in Malawi and Mozambique and for the doctoral thesis research for Manuel Filipe. The specific objectives of this team will be to: a) develop a preliminary description of the bean and cowpea market structure in Malawi and Mozambique, b) identify information needs for bean and cowpea market structure, and c) assist in the setting up pilot bean price and quality data collection. The initial market structure description is based primarily on interviews with key informants in southern Malawi and the province of Zambezia in Mozambique. Markets for both raw beans and cowpeas, as well as processed products were investigated.