Farmers’ Union wins international award
A strong commitment to quality and excellence has earned the Farmers’ Union of Malawi (FUM) recognition from top-notch international executives, who have awarded the national organisation the prestigious and coveted International Star Award for Quality (ISAQ), in the Gold Category.
FUM chief executive officer Prince Kapondamgaga received the award on behalf of his organisation, at the InterContinental Geneva Convention Hall from the president of award organiser Business Initiative Directions (BID) Group, Jose Prieto, in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 20.
The annual award presentations occur after BID holds annual congresses in the wake of rigorous searches for outstanding companies and organisations from 116 countries worldwide over the previous ten months. The exercises come to a climax when the participating leaders and experts in quality and excellence submit their votes for the winners.
A notification letter FUM received before it got the award said: “The Final decision to present the ISAQ Award in the Gold Category to Farmers’ Union of Malawi in Geneva has been made by the ISAQ Selection Committee on the basis of the criteria of the QC 100 Total Quality Management Model which, in conjunction with BID’s Quality Mix technology, strengthens your position of leadership.”
Displaying the award to The Nation in Lilongwe this week, Kapondamgaga said he was humbled to note that FUM was the only Malawian organisation at the presentation ceremony, where he also noted that other recipients from Africa were from Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
“It’s humbling that we (FUM) have put Malawi on the international map, specifically concerning quality, leadership, technology and innovation. This is rewarding because our signature is about quality; we want to produce something that is of high value to all our clients and stakeholders,” he added.
FUM brings together 27 union members who represent over 1.2 million smallholder farmers in Malawi’s diverse agro-industry.
Kapondamgaga said the leadership award is dedicated to FUM members of staff who have served customers with efficiency and dedication that has transformed lives of millions of Malawians in the agricultural industry.
He added that the dedication also extends to FUM Board members who have used their vast and diverse experience in farming to come up with policies which have made FUM grow into a robust national organisation that is serving farmers effectively.
