Farmers and agribusiness operators in Zomba district are all smiles due a boast in their agribusiness operations, thanks to matching grants under the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project-MWASIP.
The six-year project aims at increasing the adoption of sustainable landscape management practices and improving watershed services in targeted catchments along the Shire River.
Under scaling up land restoration component, the project is providing matching grants to farmer groups and Agri-enterprises to enhance agricultural-based livelihoods and boost household incomes.
Meanwhile Helen Bango-Agribusiss Officer for Zomba district council has told MIJ Online that so far 12 farmer groups in three catchment areas have benefitted from the matching grants, ranging from K9 million to K25 million per farmer group.
“We are hoping that the matching grants will boast their capital and thereby increase their returns. For the Agri enterprises we have managed to disburse the funds to one Agri enterprise and we are looking forward to more of them as they will play a vital role of being off-takers of produces by the farmer groups,”said Bango.
One of the farmer groups that have benefitted from the matching grants in Zomba district is Chilungamo Goat Club from Sikamu village in T/A Mulumbe under Namitembo catchment area, which got a sum of K8.9 million for livestock production.
Chairperson for Chilungamo Goat Club Getrude Mwachumu said the group will utilize the money to set up a goat production business.
“This is a great opportunity for us, our group has 18 members and our plan is that at the end of three years, we should all have an improved livelihood,”rejoiced Mwachumu.
Masau Smallholder Farmer group in Songolo village T/A Kapita is another farmer group that has received over K21 million matching grant under MWASIP in Zomba district to venture into poultry farming for layers.
Chairperson for the group Emily Chibwana said the group plans to be the main supplier of eggs in Chingale area which currently source it’s eggs from Zomba town.
37 farmer groups and 15 Agri enterprise have so far received matching grants to a tune of K329 million under the project, according to Oswald Mulenga, Techinical Team Member for MWASIP.
“The project is aiming at restoring degraded landscapes, so we make sure that those benefiting from the grants are also the ones involved in land restoration activities in the areas.” Said Mulenga
He added that the farmer groups were trained on financial and business management skills for a successful implementation of their agribusinesses.
8 million US Dollars was allocated for matching grants under MWASIP project for enhancement of agricultural-based projects, targeting 200 smallholder farmer groups and 60 Agri-enterprises.
The whole MWASIP project is being implemented to the tune of $160 million with World Bank funding $157 million while the Malawi government is contributing $3 million.
Smallholder farmer groups have a chance of qualifying for a matching grant with the value ranging between $5,000 to $25,000 while for Agri-enterprises the value ranges between $25,000 to $50,000.