National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF), Chief Executive Officer, Humphrey Mdyetseni, has disclosed that plans are underway to establish a mini factory for co-operatives to start processing Irish potatoes in Ntcheu District.
He said the project is expected to come into effect during phase two of loan disbursement in the next 6 months.
Mdyetseni made the remarks during a post-disbursement monitoring field visit involving three schemes of Irish potato farmers, who have benefited during the first phase of this year’s micro irrigation loan, in Kabango 2 village, in the area of Traditional authority Mpando, in the district.
So far, Ntcheu has over 80 schemes, each having a number of 50 members. The visit gave chance to NEEF officials to monitor Nansenga, Chiseke and Lisungwi irrigation schemes, with a capacity of 90, 88 and 50 acres of land respectively.
Mdyetseni said the establishment of an Irish potato factory in the district will necessitate the process of making the crop into a value-added product. He appealed to farmers to plant different types of crops and to do animal farming, for them to have sufficient food, rather than relying on one crop.
Chairperson of the Chiseke Scheme, Patricio Vanyani, asked for an increase in the number of beneficiaries to access loans in the area during the second phase of loan disbursement.
In April this year, the government of Malawi, through NEEF, launched the microloan initiative for farmers to access loans.
By Hudson Nkumbira, Ntcheu
