Care Malawi has advised farmers in the country to begin treating agriculture as a business, with the goal of eradicating poverty in their communities and becoming economically self-reliant.
Jones Chimpukuso, the Chief of Party for the Titukulane Project at Care Malawi, made these remarks during a ceremony held in Genala, Zomba, where additional value equipments was donated to cooperatives.
The organization donated equipment such as solar dryers, tomato sauce processing machines, and grain milling machines.
Chimpukuso explained that Care Malawi, through the Titukulane Project, has been supporting farmers in Zomba in the area of modern farming, with the aim of helping them increase crop yields, attain food security, and achieve economic self-sufficiency.
He stated that through the Titukulane Project, farmers in the district have learned modern farming methods through training and mentorship and are now able to produce a variety of products using their farm harvests—products which are now generating significant income.
“We came here today to donate additional value equipment to farmers in cooperatives such as Genala and NASFAM so they can process their harvests, improve the quality, and sell at higher prices. We are confident that this will boost their income and improve their daily lives” said Chimpukuso.
He further explained that the organization’s goal aligns with Malawi’s Vision 2063, which emphasizes industrialization and commercialization by encouraging farmers to establish small-scale factories that can process various products, contributing to national development.
He said the agricultural work being done by these cooperatives and their processing initiatives will also create job opportunities for others, benefiting many people by giving them a source of livelihood and income.
He urged the farmers to make good use of the equipments and work hard in their farming activities, so they can harvest more and, through processing, access larger markets that offer better profits.
Speaking upon receiving the equipments, the chairperson of the Genala Cooperative, Dinala Moses, thanked Care Malawi through the Titukulane Project, saying the equipments would help boost agricultural productivity and improve people’s financial situations.
“The arrival of this additional value equipments is a huge help because previously, when we harvested our crops, we sold them at low prices. But with this equipments, we will produce high-quality products, sell them at higher prices, and make meaningful profits” said Moses.
The chairperson of the NASFAM cooperative for Zomba and Chiradzulu, Charles Matengo, said receiving a tomato sauce processing machine will help farmers generate better income. He noted that in the past, when there was an oversupply of tomatoes, farmers would just throw them away due to lack of markets. But now, with the equipments from Care Malawi, they will be able to produce tomato sauce in large quantities, sell it at good prices, and make a profit.
He concluded that the livelihoods of many farmers will improve economically as they will now be able to earn more income and take care of their families, helping to reduce hunger and poverty, which is widespread among farming communities in the districts.
