By Memory Kutengule Chatonda

Blantyre, August 23, Mana: World Bank-supported Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP) has disbursed a total of K3.6 billion and K2.2 billion to 137 farmer groups and 43 agri-enterprises, respectively in the seven districts of Blantyre, Balaka, Mangochi, Zomba, Ntcheu, Neno, and Machinga to support the agri entrepreneurial.

MWASIP technical team member, Andrew Chamaza disclosed this on Friday during a quarterly interaction session with journalists in Blantyre.

Chamaza said the matching grants were meant to increase crop productivity among farmers at the farm level and support agri-enterprises on farm produce.

“The farmer groups were selected based on their active participation in the implementation of sustainable land management practices in their respective catchment areas. We recommended that the groups should have a majority of women and youth,” he added

In the agri-enterprises category, MWASIP looked at aggregators, processors and those in value chain additions who would boost their capital base to support their huge investments, according to Chamaza.

He said despite the project facing some challenges regarding disbursement of funds to the farmer groups and agri-enterprises, a great impact has so far been registered in the areas where the project is being implemented.

“For instance, we noted that there were no clear market linkages between the farmer groups and agri-enterprise and in a few instances, some failed to use the funds for the intended purpose. Regardless of this, there are more cases of success, especially from those that got the grants in the first cohort they are now reaping the fruits of the matching grants,” he said.

One of the farmer groups, Tipindule in the Kapichira catchment where the project is being implemented in Blantyre, hailed MWASIP for supporting them with a matching grant amounting to K16 million to venture into irrigation farming solely for commercial gains.

The secretary of the group, Christopher Sabwe, said they selected the enterprise because of its lucrative returns.

“We now sell our maize and groundnuts to various agri-enterprises at a competitive price, in turn realizing huge returns,” he said.

Chimwemwe Chikatentha, an agro-dealer trading as Mamshe Agro dealer, said the grant she received, amounting to K79 million enabled her to construct a warehouse.

 “We use this warehouse to store farmers' produce such as groundnuts and maize, which we buy from the farmers in the Kapichira catchment area," he added.

The farmer groups accessed matching grants ranging from 5,000 USD to 10,000 USD, while for agri-enterprises, their matching grants threshold ranged from 25,000 USD to 50,000 USD.