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US fund gives Ntcheu farmers K70m boost

 

United States African Development Foundation (USAdf) has given Ntcheu Smallholder Farmers Association, known as Chumachilimthaka, K70 million to expand its soya bean business.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at Sharpe Valley, Traditional Authority (T/A) Ganya, Bwanje North member of Parliament (MP) Francis Mkungula thanked USadf for the donation.

Gama (seated L) signing the grant documents as Jere (R) looks on

“It is such a big association with dedicated members, but lack of financial support has been a hindrance to its success…With this fund, farmers will be able to access farm inputs as well as extension services easily,” he said.

The legislator promised to work with the association to ensure the fund meets its intended purpose.

Chumachilimthaka chairperson Brighton Pesani Gama said with the fund, the association aims at becoming a well-known soya association locally and internationally.

“We want to reach a stable point whereby we can plant, buy and sell soya beans as well as add value to the crop by making things like cooking oil and chicken feed from it,” he explained.

USAdf country director Linda Jere said the organisation aims at boosting smallholder farmers to ensure economic growth. “Malawi depends on agriculture for its economic development and most of the farmers are smallholders hence to ensure economic development there is a need to boost them in form of grants because most of them are hard workers but fail to expand due to financial support,” she said. n

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