VALUE CHAINS - AGCOM hands a MK211m grant to livestock cooperative in Mangochi
The cooperative commenced its operations as an association in 2017, with the aim of promoting local farmers of Senior Chief Nankumba to diversify into goat rearing away from the fishery domain.
MONKEY-BAY, Malawi (Planet Defence) - Supremacy Livestock Farms Cooperative at Malembo in Mangochi district is one of the beneficiaries of the Agricultural Commercialization (AGCOM) Project following a grant disbursement of MK211 million which the cooperative received in tranches thanks to the World Bank funding, writes Maureen Kawerama.
The cooperative commenced its operations as an association in 2017, with an aim of promoting local farmers in the area of Senior Chief Nankumba in the district. Today, the Supremacy Livestock Farms Cooperative has grown from a registered membership of 210 to 253 members which includes women, men and youths.
Simeon Harrison, Chairperson for the Cooperative said they changed from being an association to cooperative in 2021 after they received training business management skills. This capacity building training led to the awarding of a grant of about MK211 million from AGCOM which they are receiving in tranches.
“The proposed total grant was MK211 million where AGCOM contributed 70 percent while ourselves contributed 30 percent, of which 20 percent was in – kind and 10 percent cash. We are receiving the grant in tranches and the first trench which we received was about MK102 million of which we used some of it to purchase 1,450 goats and 900 goats.” he said adding, “These were distributed to our local farmers whom we are working with. Some of the money was used to purchase 1.8 hectares of land for our livestock farming and an irrigation plant scheme. Meanwhile, we are expecting to receive the remaining balance any time soon which we will use to purchase the manure processing machine and a cold storage machine for meat processing,” explained Simeon in an interview.
The cooperative aims to transform the lives of the people in the area of Senior Chief Nankumba through goats farming instead as part of diversification instead of depending on the fishing activities only on Lake Malawi.
“Most of the people here depend on fishing for survival, so we decided to form this cooperative with the aim of changing the peoples mind set to consider goat – farming as another source of generating income for their survival,” he added while suggesting with goats rearing farmers can make manure that can also improve their farms agro-ecology in the process.
Group Village Head Matekwe under Senior Chief Nankumba in Mangochi district observed that the cooperative has changed the living standards of his subjects in his jurisdiction.
One of the beneficiaries of the cooperative, Memory Mwaza said she is now able to pay her children’s school fees through goat selling business which she received from the cooperative.
“Out of two goats which I received from the cooperative, I now have 15 goats and the money that I get from my goats selling business I use it to pay my children’s school fees, buying food, and other basic necessities for my family,” Mwanza explained while feeding her goats.
Chief Economist in the Ministry of Agriculture, Prisca Kachere said she is impressed with the progress the cooperative is making with support from AGCOM Project through World Bank.
“Am very much satisfied, farmers through Mangochi Supremacy Livestock Farming Cooperative are really working hard. They are making a lot of profits through their goat farming business. So, it’s a promising venture and if they can expand in terms of the goats that they have and also the numbers of the cooperative. They have a very big potential since there is second phase of AGCOM that is coming and cooperatives like these are encouraged to apply for additional supportive,” Kachere made the revelation.
Malawi's small farms operate alongside large agricultural estates and a growing number of medium‐scale farms, yet the country's agriculture production generally cannot meet growing demand from domestic and export markets. Agricultural commercialisation, especially in rural areas, is hampered by inadequate marketing infrastructure, limited access to marketing services, poor service provision, and inconsistencies in policy.
A weak investment, business, and regulatory climate inhibits development of agricultural enterprises and value addition. More variable climate patterns, marked by later onset or cessation of rains, a longer dry season, and a shorter growing season exacerbate the growing challenges that are hampering the growth of the agriculture sector in the country. To address these challenges, Malawi Government is implementing a six-year AGCOM Project whose operational implementation started in July, 2018