The National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM) – the country’s largest smallholder owned membership organisation founded on the principles of collective action and is democratically governed by its members – has expressed willingness to support Mega Farms Project as an off-taker.
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NASFAM Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Betty Chinyamunyamu, assured the government that it has the capacity to buy produce from farmers under the Mega Farms Project.
Chinyamunyamu made the sentiments when the Minister of Agriculture, Sam Dalitso Kawale, visited the association’s NASCOMEX Company Limited in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera initiated and launched the Mega Farms Project to boost the country’s agricultural-based economy and help end persistent food shortages.
Apparently, Malawi has long faced food shortages at both national and domestic levels each year despite various efforts to boost agricultural production despite putting efforts into agricultural programs to boost production as the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) through which farmers buy seed and fertilizer at cheaper prices.
Chinyamunyamu challenged that with over 10, 000 farmer members spread across the country, NASFAM is not only capable of contributing to the enhancement of agricultural production and productivity, but also providing a structured market for the smallholder farmers.
“The minister’s visit was very important because we’ve had a lot of discussions about the different areas where we could collaborate. He was also able to give us information on some of the initiatives that the government has that we were not aware of.
“So it was really something that we found value upon, and we will be following up with Defense Departments within the ministry but also outside. So there are a lot of initiatives particularly regarding the lack of funds, or value addition,” said Chinyamunyamu.
“And both of those are areas where, as NASCOMEX we are actively involved. So we’re also looking at scaling up. So, the opportunities and the initiatives that government has are going to give us an opportunity to scale up and see as a business entity,” she added.
But Chinyamunyamu emphasized the need for the government to review some of the agriculture policies to ensure that they align with the interest and well-being of the farmers.
In his remarks, Kawale assured NASFAM of the government’s commitment to partnering with the association to ensure increased production and productivity.
“NASFAM is key stakeholders in the agriculture sector with over 100,000 smallholder farmers as an off taker, but also provides the necessary extension services, access to financing to the farmers. Those are the things that we need. And this is what can help this country to develop because investment in the smallholder farmer is very important both for food security as well as economic development,” said the minister.
Kawale said his visit to the NASCOMEX Limited Factory has helped him to understand what goes on behind the ‘scenes as Minister of Agriculture as we look at the farmers’.
He said NASFAM has demonstrated an ‘amazing work they’re doing in value addition and packaging’.
“We’ve seen what they’re doing with groundnuts with beans, we’ve also seen the rice as well as the NASPHALA. All these products that are already on the market. Everything that we have seen is giving us the energy and enthusiasm to continue working with these institutions,” he said.
Kawale assured that he would link NASFAM to financing institutions such as the Agricultural Commercialization (AGCOM) Project, FiNES Project, National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) and Malawi Agriculture Investment and industry Cooperation (MAIIC), among others, for possible financing towards smallholder farmers under the association.
