Msamala warehouse constructed with support from AGCOM
Lying on the banks of Shire River at Ngugwa village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Msamala in Balaka are farms that are cultivated under rain-fed farming and winter cropping.
There are no settlements close to these farms. However, people from the nearby villages are busy trekking to and from these farms. These farmers have heeded to the advice not to settle in banks, as the land is prone to floods. These farmers say that they mostly arrive at their farms tired and work with caution on their farms just to spare some energy to walk back home.
Most of these farmers are members of Msamala cooperative and Bernard Tamwa is the chairperson of the cooperative. He explains that previously, the cooperative was facing transport challenges because it was very difficult to take their produce from the farms to the market as well as transporting farm inputs from the market to the farms.
Tamwa adds, “Storage of the produce before selling at the markets was another challenge. Often the produce was kept under unfavorable conditions exposing it to loss of quality due to lack of a warehouse. As a result, farmers were engaged in side selling.”
But thanks to AGCOM matching grants. The chairperson expresses gratitude to AGCOM Project for providing them a matching grant support with which they have managed to construct a warehouse to the tune of MK28 million.
Tamwa says, “This warehouse has significantly reduced post-harvest losses of our produce. Previously, we used to incur losses due to unfavorable storage conditions, which often resulted in reduced produce quality by the time it reached the market.”
Tamwa explains that in addition to the warehouse, Msamala cooperative has also purchased a 2-tonne truck amounting to MK10.5 million which has greatly facilitated the transportation of produce from farms to the warehouse, and onward to the market.
,Sauta Yusufu is the treasurer of Msamala cooperative. He explains how AGCOM support has transformed her family and village. She says, “I give thanks to AGOM. We are now able to do collective marketing as a cooperative. I have managed to buy a bicycle and am able to pay school fees for my daughter who is in Form 2.”
Msamala Cooperative began as an association in 2016 and with support from AGCOM Project, it transitioned into a cooperative in 2021. Farmers in the cooperative mostly grow pigeon peas.
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