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BALAKA

UTM District Manifesto 2025 | BALAKA DISTRICT

“Balaka Rising: Livestock, Cotton, Culture — A District of Diverse Wealth”
“From artisanal cheese and ancient churches to cotton fields and mineral veins, UTM will harness Balaka’s full potential for rural industry, food security, and heritage tourism.”
— Dr. Dalitso Kabambe – UTM Presidential Candidate 2025

Vision for Balaka

Located at the economic crossroads of Southern Malawi, Balaka combines livestock heritage, artisanal food traditions, rich Catholic history, and promising mineral deposits. Despite these strengths, Balaka faces underdeveloped value chains, poor infrastructure, low formalization in livestock and cotton sectors, and youth unemployment.

UTM’s Vision: To transform Balaka into a dynamic rural economy anchored in beef and dairy, cotton revival, sustainable mining, and heritage tourism — with jobs, skills, and dignity for every household.

Core Vision:

  • Elevate Balaka into a national beef and sheep production hub
  • Restore cotton as a key cash crop with revitalized ginneries and textile offshoots
  • Promote heritage tourism through iconic Catholic sites and artisanal food trails
  • Unlock mineral value through safe, community-owned mining cooperatives
  • Expand agro-processing for meat, milk, cotton, and fruits
  • Invest MWK 500 Billion through the Balaka District Development Fund (BDDF)

Livestock, Animal Husbandry & Dairy Revival

Context & Challenges: Livestock production in Balaka is widespread but disorganized, with poor access to vet care, markets, and value addition. Dairy remains untapped.

Locations: Phalula, Kalembo, Utale Plains

UTM Pledges:

  • 30,000 animals: Beef cattle, Dorper sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, guinea fowl
  • Communal ranches with feedlots, water points, and vet posts
  • Livestock breeding centres in Kalembo and Phalula
  • Mini-meat processing and hide tanning plants
  • Dairy collection and artisanal cheese-making center at Utale (linked to Catholic Mission)

Investment: MWK 50 Billion
Jobs: 6,000
Output: Meat, milk, hides, live poultry, cheese
Impact: Rural wealth creation, national meat supply, youth-led poultry businesses

Cotton & Agro-Industrial Processing

Context & Challenges: Once a cotton stronghold, Balaka’s cotton industry collapsed due to lack of investment, ginneries, and organized co-ops.

Sites: Ulongwe, Andiamo, Nkhonde

UTM Pledges:

  • 15,000 hectares of cotton farms supported with inputs and seed banks
  • Revive and modernize cotton ginneries in Ulongwe and Nkhonde
  • Launch cooperative-owned textile spinning and fabric workshops
  • Promote dual cropping (cotton with legumes or maize) under irrigation

Investment: MWK 40 Billion
Jobs: 5,000
Output: Cotton lint, oil, fabric
Impact: Return of cotton export value, women’s empowerment, textile skills

Mineral Development & Artisanal Mining

Context & Challenges: Balaka’s mineral deposits are informal and unsafe, with youth lacking access to value addition and equipment.

Sites: Nsambe, Matola Highlands, North Balaka

UTM Pledges:

  • Survey mineral potential in Matola and Nsambe
  • Launch small-scale mining co-ops and safety training
  • Construct a district mineral processing hub (crushers, classifiers, lime kilns)
  • Link mining with housing and infrastructure inputs (cement blocks, gravel, bricks)

Investment: MWK 25 Billion
Jobs: 3,000
Output: Lime, gravel, building stone
Impact: Safer local mining, construction-ready inputs, community income

Tourism, Heritage & Cultural Economy

Context & Challenges: Balaka’s rich Catholic and food heritage remains untapped due to poor branding and hospitality infrastructure.

Anchors: Utale Catholic Basilica, Missionary Trails, Livestock Fairs

UTM Pledges:

  • Upgrade Utale Basilica and establish a Missionary Heritage Trail
  • Restore colonial-era cheese caves and train youth in artisanal cheese production
  • Launch “Balaka Cattle & Cheese Festival” showcasing food, livestock, and crafts
  • Community-run lodges near Utale, artisanal cafes, and cheese sampling stops
  • Horse trails and walking paths near Kalembo foothills

Investment: MWK 20 Billion
Jobs: 2,500
Target: 40,000 domestic tourists/year
Impact: Community pride, agro-tourism income, youth-owned artisan ventures

Mega Farms & Smart Agriculture

Context & Challenges: Agriculture is still rain-fed with little storage or processing, resulting in post-harvest losses and missed export potential.

Locations: Kalembo River Valley, Ulongwe, Mkwate Zone

UTM Pledges:

  • 8,000 hectares under mega farms and co-ops
  • Expand irrigation from small dams and solar boreholes
  • Banana ripening and processing plants for banana flour and snacks
  • Pack houses and cold chains for tomato and onion export

Investment: MWK 100 Billion
Jobs: 7,000
Output: 300,000 MT food/year
Impact: Year-round production, food security, horticultural exports

Infrastructure & Smart Connectivity

Context & Challenges: Balaka has poor road connectivity and minimal digital inclusion, slowing economic and rural transformation.

Focus: Ulongwe–Balaka Boma Corridor, Rural Trading Centres, Fibre Grid

UTM Pledges:

  • Upgrade Balaka–Ntcheu Road and feeder roads to cotton, farm, and mining zones
  • Expand rural broadband to 50 trading centres with public Wi-Fi
  • Solar mini-grids in 40 villages for lighting, storage, agro-processing
  • Upgrade Balaka Boma with walkable streets, bike lanes, and e-services

Investment: MWK 100 Billion
Jobs: 4,000
Impact: Faster access to markets, internet inclusion, clean rural power

Smart Housing & Urban Planning

Context & Challenges: Housing is unplanned with limited sanitation, digital services, and economic infrastructure.

Locations: Balaka Boma, Ulongwe, Utale Mission

UTM Pledges:

  • 2,500 smart homes with solar kits, clean water, and sanitation
  • SME zones integrated with housing estates
  • Digital services at new Civic Centre (e-health, ID, permits)
  • Urban tree belts and climate-smart zoning

Investment: MWK 40 Billion
Jobs: 2,500
Impact: Dignified housing, urban growth, better public service access

Health, Education & Skills Training

Context & Challenges: Health access is limited and youth lack relevant skills for Balaka’s emerging industries.

Key Sites: Balaka District Hospital, Catholic Skills Centres, Youth Co-ops

UTM Pledges:

  • Upgrade hospital with emergency and maternity units
  • Expand Catholic-run vocational schools in tailoring, cheese-making, hospitality
  • Youth bootcamps in livestock, textile arts, cotton farming
  • Scholarships for girls and special needs learners

Investment: MWK 25 Billion
Jobs: 2,000
Impact: Skilled workforce, health access, SME readiness

Environment & Youth-Co-Owned Forests

Context & Challenges: Deforestation and land degradation threaten Balaka’s ecological and economic stability.

Sites: Matola Hills, Utale Slopes

UTM Pledges:

  • Reforest 10,000 hectares with fast-growing and fruit trees
  • Create 4,000 hectares of youth-co-owned communal forests for timber and eco-tourism
  • Establish 20 briquette co-ops and drip irrigation for banana and vegetable farmers

Investment: MWK 15 Billion
Jobs: 1,000
Impact: Greener Balaka, climate adaptation, youth asset ownership

MWK 500 Billion Balaka District Development Fund (2025–2030)

Administered by: Balaka District Development Agency (BDDA)

Overview: This five-year flagship investment programme will serve as the engine of Balaka’s transformation, channeling MWK 100 Billion annually into critical sectors. The fund will operate through transparent, performance-driven implementation anchored in citizen participation, measurable results, and local empowerment.

Highlights:

  • MWK 100 Billion per year (2025–2030)
  • 60% of contracts awarded to Balaka SMEs, 30% youth jobs
  • Projects in cotton, livestock, mining, housing, roads, digital access
  • Transparent dashboards, citizen oversight, monthly reviews

Results by 2030:

  • 50,000 new jobs
  • 4,500 SMEs supported
  • Doubled local GDP

Every ward with tangible projects and youth empowerment

Balaka District Summary Table

Sector Investment (MWK) Jobs Created Key Outputs / Benefits
Livestock, Dairy & Animal Husbandry 50 Billion 6,000 Meat, milk, hides, cheese, youth poultry
Cotton & Agro-Processing 40 Billion 5,000 Cotton lint, oil, fabric, textile skills
Mineral Development 25 Billion 3,000 Lime, gravel, local construction inputs
Tourism & Heritage 20 Billion 2,500 40,000 tourists, artisan income, agro-tourism
Mega Farms & Smart Agriculture 100 Billion 7,000 300,000 MT food, export-ready crops
Infrastructure & Connectivity 100 Billion 4,000 Roads, internet, mini-grids
Smart Housing & Urban Planning 40 Billion 2,500 2,500 homes, civic services
Health, Education & Skills 25 Billion 2,000 Trained youth, health access, scholarships
Environment & Communal Forests 15 Billion 1,000 10,000 hectares reforested, youth assets
District Development Fund 500 Billion 16,500 Local projects, transparency, youth SMEs
TOTAL 915 Billion 49,500 Agro-industrial growth, heritage tourism, equity

“Balaka Rising: Where Cotton Fields, Livestock Ranches, and Heritage Come Alive.”
Vote UTM. Vote Dr. Dalitso Kabambe.
“Smart Agriculture. Proud Culture. Prosperous Future.”
SKC Legacy Lives On.

Tsogolo Lathu Lowala Lafika!

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