The Secretary General of the Government of Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Julie Bynens, said that she was impressed with the ongoing transformation among farmers who are being supported by the Government of Flanders funded project, Marketing Capacity Building for Smallholder farmers in Kasungu and Mzimba districts. She said this during a field visit to Kasungu, where she met with members of Msambafumu Farmer Field School (FFS).  This project aims at reducing rural poverty through market-oriented agriculture. 

During the visit, farmers highlighted improved productivity due to adoption of good agricultural practices, increased volumes sold through collective marketing, and benefits gained through village savings and loan schemes.

The benefits of collective marketing proved significant as soya bean was sold at MK 305/kg versus selling to middlemen who were offering individual farmers MK 280/kg.

“Through collective marketing, I realized better profits, something I could not achieve when I sold produce individually. This year I sold 507 kg of soya beans at MK305/kg and used the income earned to upgrade my house from grass thatched to iron sheet roofing. I was also able to buy agricultural inputs in preparation for the next planting season,” said Overton Mdulamidzu, Secretary for Msambafumu FFS.

Speaking of emerging challenges, Tereza Mwale chairperson for Msambafumu network highlighted a key challenge with storage space for aggregated produce saying:

“When we aggregate our crops, we ask one of the FFS members to store it in their house and when that space is full, produce is kept outside the house. Most farmers however are uncomfortable with this arrangement for fear of losing their hard-earned harvests to theft. We are working towards securing a warehouse because we do not want to regress,” she says.

Furthermore, Enelesiya Jemusi told Secretary General Bynens that earnings through village savings and loan schemes, have helped farmers with income to support purchase of farm inputs, livestock such as rabbits, and chickens and to pay for school fees for their children.

Following presentations by the farmers, which included a nutrition showcase featuring a wide range of agricultural produce and various dishes prepared using locally available ingredients, the Secretary General addressed the FFS members saying:

“Since the project started, we have seen a huge growth in production, increased volumes for collective marketing, and a huge increase in participation in farmer organizations. I am impressed by your enthusiasm, your knowledge and especially by the way in which you look to the future. You have some very concrete ideas that will help you to grow even more than where you are now.”

Secretary General Julie Bynens was joined by, Geraldine Reymenes the General Representative of the Government of Flanders in South Africa, Eva Maes the Policy Advisor, and Nikolas Bosscher the Deputy General Representative for the Government of Flanders in Malawi, on 19 September 2019.

The Marketing capacity building for smallholder farmers project is being jointly implemented by FAO and the Government of Malawi, through its Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development.

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