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 lobbied for greater involvement in formulating farm-gate prices.

NASFAM Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Betty Chinyamunyamu, lamented that in the previous scenarios, farmers have been the ‘biggest losers’ when off-takers are discouraged by the minimum prices the government sets before the beginning of the marketing season.

Chinyamunyamu made the lamentations when the Minister of Agriculture, Sam Dalitso Kawale, paid a visit to NASCOMEX Limited Factory in Area 28 (Roberts) in Lilongwe on Tuesday.

NASCOMEX is a subsidiary of the NASFAM, which draws its membership from dozens of farmer associations in Malawi.

“We would like to be more involved in the setting up of minimum prices so that prices that are set work to the advantage of farmers in general because when prices are not set at the right level, we have challenges. They may discourage buyers, so we end up with the farmers losing instead of benefiting,” said Chinyamunyamu.

She said what the national association for the farmers is advocating for is continued collaboration between the national farmers’ association and the government so that both parties are addressing the needs of the farmers.

Minister Kawale agreed with Chinyamunyamu, stressing that the government acknowledges and appreciates the contribution the smallholder farmers face in the development of his nation.

He assured that the incumbent administration is eager to collaborate with farmer associations such as NASFAM in uplifting the economic livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the country.