By Sheminah Nkhoma

Lilongwe, December 9, Mana: National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) has launched a K100 million agricultural cooperative grant to help young farmers in developing their agricultural businesses.

Speaking at the launch in Lilongwe on Monday, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda, said government is committed to achieving the Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) strategy and the Malawi 2063.

He said empowering young people to venture into agricultural productivity aligns with the ATM strategy’s goals of transforming agriculture into productive, market driven sector that contributes to food security, job creation and economic growth.

“This program will equip young people with resources and opportunities to drive agricultural productivity, commercialization and innovation by contributing to a self-reliant and industrialized Malawi,” said Banda.

He stated that government is determined to break barriers and create an enabling environment where young people can thrive as many are unemployed.

He said the coming in of the grant will enable them boost their agriculture business so that they can attain enough income.

Banda has, therefore, urged the youth to use the funds for the intended purposes, to be transparent and accountable as well as work diligently to grow the cooperatives into successful enterprises.

NYCOM Executive Director, Rex Chapota, thanked government for the support provided to the Council saying it will transform small-scale groups who are already working in the agriculture sector.

“It is the vision of the Council that is in line with the Malawi 2063. The Council should help and support youth from rural areas to contribute to the economic development through entrepreneurship. So, the grant will boost local youth,” said Chapota.

He highlighted the need for more support to the youth as they constitute 70 percent of people in the country hence the need for collaboration between government and the private sector to support the youth development.

One of the beneficiaries of the grant, Francis Chirambo who is into fish farming said the grant is a milestone to their group as it will help them innovate some fish ponds.

Chirambo’s group aims to have a tin fish factory.

18 youth are roups are set to benefit from the grant as it is designed to provide essential funding and technical support to youth-led projects in the agriculture sector.