SHMPA increases milk production through matching grant

Shire Highlands Milk Producers Association (SHMPA) is greatly benefiting from the Agricultural Commercialization (AGCOM) Project following a matching grant support of MK1.2 billion which the association is receiving from the project in tranches.

This was revealed when Minister of Agriculture Honourable Lobin Lowe MP recently visited SHMPA’s cattle breeding center at Mpemba in Blantyre, Mangunda Milk Bulking Group and a woman who has just received a cow in Thyolo. The tour was for the Minister to appreciate the progress the association is making with support from AGCOM project under matching grant.

Speaking in an interview, Honorable Lowe said he is impressed with how SHMPA is assisting dairy farmers in the southern region with support from the project especially the fact that many women are benefiting.

The Minister said, “I am very much encouraged with how SHMPA is working with farmers here. Dairy farming is another form of employment. Farmers are making good returns every month through the selling of milk.”

Lowe added, “I am also excited with the involvement of women in this program. We will make sure that this goes everywhere in the country. Its impressive to see widows building their lives and earning income from dairy farming.”

The Minister further commended the structured market of milk and the element of sustainability in the program. He also encouraged farmer cooperatives and associations in the country to organize themselves so that they can access support from AGCOM matching grant like what SHMPA has done.

Responding to farmers concern on low prices of milk, the Minister said his Ministry is almost done with legislation that will protect the farmers.

“Ministry is in the process of finalizing a legislation through the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development which will facilitate the establishment of a milk and milk products board that will help to negotiate prices of milk with off-takers for increased farmers benefit,” he said.

In his remarks, AGCOM National Project Coordinator Dr. Ted Nakhumwa said the project is training producer organizations as part of the support which AGCOM provides to ensure increased production and productivity in dairy farming. 

He said, “Before we disburse funds, we train the producer organizations in terms of the business they are doing. As for SHMPA, these are milk producers and we have trained the farmers on how to care for the animals, and treat the animals.”  

Dr. Nakhumwa added, “They are working hand in hand with the Ministry of Agriculture frontline staff, the veterinary officers to provide them with training support. I am optimistic that the support given will lead to increased production and productivity in the dairy industry.”

Zione Chiphaka is SHMPA’s Project officer. She said that AGCOM has very much assisted SHMPA to reach out to its farmers and increase dairy milk production.

 “With the support from AGCOM matching grant, we will be able to reach out to 1,000 farmers with dairy cattle, and many of them are women,” she said, adding that they have been looking for support to procure cattle for so long but AGCOM has bailed them out.

Chiphaka said that in terms of production, the farmers were producing 90,000 litres of milk per per day but now with the support from AGCOM, they are producing 110,000 litres and are hoping to continue increasing the litres as more cows are going to be procured through AGCOM.

SHMPA received from AGCOM MK227 million in the first tranche. The association has with this amount managed to procure a 10 tonner truck which they are using to transport cattle feed from their warehouse to Milk Bulking Group centres across southern region.

It has also bought a one tonner pickup which is being used to carry dairy cattle which the association is distributing to its farmers.

Further to that, SHMPA has bought and distributed 173 dairy cattle to some of its farmers as part of the 1000 cattle it is expected to buy with AGCOM grant.

“The dairy animals are being given to the farmers under the pass-on-program where the first beneficiary gives the first born female calf to another farmer.  Part of the money will also be used to construct two milk bulking centers in Mulanje and Chiladzulu,” she said.

SHMPA is a smallholder milk farmers’ association which started in 1985 and has 33 milk bulking groups with a total membership of over 11,000 farmers, majority of which are women.

Currently, the association produces 110,000 litres of milk everyday which is sold to different dairy companies such as Lilongwe Dairy, Suncrest Creameries, Universal Dairy and Kombeza Yoghurt.

It is the associations dream to see every Malawian drinking milk, create employment through the production and processing of milk and other dairy products. Through AGCOM matching grants, the vision of SHMPA is being realized.