US signs four grants with Malawi

The US government has through the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) signed four grants with Malawi that is set to support grassroot groups.
market in malawi
According to a press release from Washington DC, the four grants will benefit Malawi’s Lilongwe South Smallholder Farmers Association, Nkhata Bay Coffee Cooperative, Misuku Coffee Growers Cooperative Society and Coffee Growers Cooperative Society.

The four grants come barely a few days after Japan also signed an agricultural pact with Malawi which is expected to help boost the agricultural sector, the southern African country’s economic hub.

USADF president Lloyd Pierson said the funds will assist the groups at the grassroots level to help them produce more goods. “USADF funds groups at the grassroots level. These grants support farmers in Malawi to produce more goods to sell on markets, increasing their incomes and their quality of life,” said Pierson.

Lilongwe South Smallholder Farmers Association which is located in the country’s Capital city is an umbrella organization which supports more than 6,000 farmers from three farmer associations and that it works to improve the livelihoods of farmers by providing technical assistance in production and marketing of crops such as Soya, maize and beans. The association takes an active approach to create awareness of gender, literacy, environmental, and HIV/AIDS issues.

The four-year grant is expected to assist the association to construct a warehouse, develop a business plan and marketing strategy, purchase a van, drill a borehole, and enhance working capital.

Coffee market

Misuku Coffee Growers Cooperative Society which is situated in the northern region district of Chitipa assists farmers to grow and market coffee in the district and is said to have 727 members. The cooperative grows and raises Arabica coffee to improve the living standards of members and the local community. The three-year grant is expected to fund processing equipment, training, a trip to visit organic coffee farms in Tanzania, enhance the revolving loan fund in an effort to increase incomes and create jobs.

Nkhata Bay Coffee Cooperative which is also situated in the northern region district of Nkhata Bay and has 300 members. It grows and markets coffee and provides services and market access to farmers.

Its four-year grant is expected to fund the purchase of processing equipment and a truck, training, and enhance the revolving loan fund.

The last group Coffee Growers Cooperative Society is also situated in the northern region district of Rumphi and has 534 members out of which 123 are said to be women. The cooperative seeks to increase the incomes and value of life for its farmer members, their families, and the surrounding communities by increasing the volume of coffee produced and improving the yield of specialty coffee.

The cooperative has received a three-year grant which will finance construction of houses and processing equipment, training in agronomic practices and good governance, a truck, and office equipment.

USADF which is a US government agency established programming in Malawi last year and began funding projects this year. USADF receives co-funding from the government of Malawi and that the country’s current portfolio stands at nine investment projects totaling more than $1.5 million.

It is dedicated to expanding access to economic opportunity in Africa and that currently USADF operates in 20 African nations. Over the past 25 years, the agency has funded nearly 1,500 projects and invested the capital in excess of $150 million in support of African enterprises and local African communities.