At least 7, 352 dairy farmers under the Chipande Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Traditional Authority Machinjiri, Blantyre, are set to benefit from a Milk Bulking Centre whose construction is nearing completion courtesy of the Transforming Agriculture Through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) Programme.
Trade is an initiative by the Government of Malawi, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).
The facility, Chipande Milk Bulking Centre, under the Trade Project, is expected to transform dairy farming in the area by providing farmers with a reliable collection point closer to home.
For Misfortunes Mtuwe from Likomba Village in Traditional Authority Machinjiri, dairy farming is more than just a business; it is a lifeline.
He says for years, farmers in the EPA have been making losses due to long distances to deliver and process their milk at a proper bulking facility in Blantyre city.
“The construction of this facility is a relief to us. Once completed, we will have a reliable collection and aggregation point where all farmers under the EPA will deliver their milk for storage, quality assurance and marketing,” said Mtuwe.
Mtuwe, who earns close to K1 million a month from milk, says dairy farming has changed his life.
“There is money in milk farming. This money is enough to send my children to school, buy groceries and implement other household welfare initiatives,” he said.
He added that unlike seasonal cash crops such as maize, cotton and tobacco, dairy farming pays throughout the year.
“Milk farming is profitable because it has no season. Every month, from January to December, you make money provided you feed the animals food with enough nutrients. I am urging people from our EPA to join us so that they too can benefit from this life-transforming farming,” said Mtuwe.
The Trade Project aims to enhance value chain commercialisation and build the resilience of rural people, with a special focus on strengthening the dairy value chain.
The Project’s National Coordinator, Babra Ntapala, said the facility in Chipande will improve milk handling, enhance product quality, strengthen farmers’ bargaining power and increase their access to competitive markets and processors.
“For a long time, dairy farmers in this community have been crying out loud. They incurred unnecessary losses due to poor roads and long distances to deliver their milk. Slowly, the farmers were losing interest. There was no value in their hard work. We came in to shorten the distance and give them the necessary skills. We expect a big improvement,” said Ntapala.
She said the introduction of milk bulking groups has encouraged more farmers to venture into dairy production, creating opportunities for increased household income and improved livelihoods.
“It is estimated that the bulking group has over 1,500 farmers with a population of 927 cattle. You can appreciate that without our intervention, all these farmers could not have been registered because there was no value in dairy farming,” said Ntapala.
The Trade Program Project is further providing infrastructure development through road rehabilitation to access markets and agricultural production areas, as well as bridge construction to improve connectivity and transportation.
The facility is receiving full government support, recognising that dairy farming is at the heart of the government’s development agenda.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ben Phiri, toured the construction site to appreciate progress and get first-hand information on how the facility will assist dairy farmers in the Machinjiri area.
He said farmers will no longer incur losses due to spoiled milk as a result of long distances to sell their milk.
Phiri stressed that President Mutharika’s administration strives to see farmers realise their full potential, hence its support for initiatives that align with the government’s agenda.
Once fully operational, the Chipande Milk Bulking Centre is expected to be more than just a house, as it will be a catalyst for economic transformation in Machinjiri.
For farmers like Mtuwe who have already started reaping fruits from dairy farming, it is proof that with the right infrastructure, support and markets, dairy farmers can lift communities out of poverty and drive sustainable rural development.
It aims to enhance the livelihoods, incomes, and resilience of rural farmers and smallholders by promoting agricultural value chain commercialization.
