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One of foreign investors interested in industrial hemp production in the country said the Corona virus outbreak has affected progress of their plans to invest in the country.
A research fellow at the Center for Bio-cultural Diversity at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, Dr. Axel klein, said the spread of the virus has put everything on hold.
“We have to look at circumstances at the moment. With the spread of the virus, everything is put on hold. That is something that we need to be aware of. Everything is suspended for the moment,” he said.
Dr. Klein from UK which is in a lockdown, said that they are expecting to make progress once the virus is contained after Malawi Parliament passed a bill to legalize the crop.
“The Malawi Parliament by passing the legislation has really changed the whole context and we will move forward once things return to normal,” he said.
He said they are looking on the cultivation of hemp “as a new crop which is an alternative to charcoal and firewood.
“We had a number of actors in the field who were exploring hemp for medicine and fiber.
“We are now working on finding suitable strength for Malawi climatic conditions. We are working with a university in Jamaica to identify strength.”
Malawi Parliament in February this year passed a legislation legalizing industrial hemp after years of heated debate on whether to or not to give the crop a nod.
