MCDA Final Report Malawi - Standards and Trade Development ...

Table A3.13.Virus indexing capacity for planting materials
Decision Criterion Value Details Confidence
Cost
Up-front investment
US$450,000 Acquisition of Test reagents and equipments (PCR machines and
associated accessories and ELISA kit) and human capacity building.
High
Estimated additional cost of $0.41/kg for certified planting material
0%
On-going cost
(equivalent to US$1,000 per hectare). However, this will be more than
Medium
offset by the added value of the increased yield. Overall impact is zero.
4
The private sector is interested, although there is generally little
knowledge of the importance of virus-free vegetative planting material
High
since most produce is for home consumption and no specialist seed
Ease of implementation
production system is in place, except the initiative by the International
Potato Centre CIP. All certified virus-free vegetative planting material
comes from South Africa including banana plantlets. The Government
of Malawi would be interested because of other potential synergies that
could flow from this facility
Trade impacts
Change in absolute value of exports
US$1.2 million Neighbouring countries do not have such facilities and therefore would
High
likely look to Malawi for seed. The current price of uncertified potato
seed is $0.67/kg in Mozambique. Additional cost of indexed seed is
US$0.41/Kg.
+2 Neighbouring countries would opt to import seed from Malawi,
especially those closer to Malawi than South Africa. These would include
High
Trade diversification
Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Other crops that are
vegetatively propagated will also benefit from the facility, for example
bananas, sweet potato and sugarcane.
Domestic agri-food impacts
Agricultural/fisheries productivity
+2 Based on data from Zimbabwe the impact on productivity is likely to be
high
Medium
Domestic public health 0 No impact. High
Environmental protection 0 No impact. High
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