The Malawi Digital Plant Health Services (MaDiPHS) National Client Web was officially launched on 20 October 2026 at LUANAR’s Bunda Campus, attracting widespread coverage from Malawian newspapers, online news outlets and television broadcasters.
MaDiPHS brings together digital tools for crop pest and disease diagnosis, agricultural advice and weather information, making plant health services more accessible to smallholder farmers. By helping farmers identify crop problems and access timely advice, MaDiPHS aims to reduce crop losses and strengthen agricultural resilience in Malawi. The web service of the National Client succeeds the Viamo321 service that was launched in 2025.
Check out the MaDiPHS national client
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Charles Singano, Director of the Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, highlighted the potential for farmers to use their phones to share images of crop problems and receive assistance. He also emphasised the importance of reliable agricultural information for research and decision-making.
Dr. Karl Thunes, MaDiPHS Project Manager at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), explained that the platform brings together tools to help farmers diagnose problems, access advice and understand how weather conditions may affect their fields. The National Client builds on pilot activities across six districts and forms part of the wider five-year MaDiPHS project, supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
The launch marks an important step towards improving access to digital plant health services in Malawi, supporting healthier crops and more resilient agricultural production.
MaDiPHS in the news
The launch received national media attention. Read the coverage and explore the project through the links below.
Newspapers and online news
- The Daily Times: K9.2bn digital farming tool to safeguard crops
- Times Group: Digital tools help farmers fight crop pests, diseases
- Times Group: Project moves to promote safer pesticide use
- Malawi News Agency (MANA): Strengthening the nation’s agricultural resilience through integrated digital systems
Television and video
- Zodiak TV: National news coverage of the MaDiPHS launch ZodiakTv | NKHANI | Zodiak Online | Facebook
- Watch the MaDiPHS project video: Making plant-health information more accessible to farmers in Malawi