Minister of Trade, Sosten Gwengwe, has challenged cooperatives to maximize the Shire Valley Transformation Programme (SVTP) by venturing into value addition, rather than being used as a means to an end.
Gwengwe said the time has come for farmers to process goods and not remain perpetual farmers.
“We can only break out of the cycle of poverty when we begin to add value to the crops we are producing,” he said.
His visit to SVTP in Chikwawa District comes at a time when three major cooperatives are expected to commence production by June 2025.
Gwengwe also interacted with Mwana Alilenji Cooperative, which has a capital of K10 billion but a deficit of K4 billion to kick-start farming.
Chairperson of the Cooperative, Robert Makion, said they are ready to embark on farming but said access to capital is a huge challenge.
Crops earmarked for production are Soya, beans, cotton, chilies and maize.
The SVTP is being supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank and it aims to increase agricultural productivity and commercialisation for targeted households in the Shire Valley.
