Farmers from Kuntiyani Village, Traditional Authority Kalembo in Balaka District, are reaping the benefits of sunflower farming following training and support from the Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholders and Enterprises (FARMES) project.
According to District Coordinating Officer, Charity Chimphamba Phiri, many of the beneficiaries are part of village savings groups and community-based financial organisations. She explained that the farmers were trained in financial literacy, village savings and loan (VSL) methodology, gender and nutrition, as well as marketing strategies for various value chains.
As part of the initiative, the farmers signed contracts with Grow Best, a company that acted as their off-taker. Under the agreement, the farmers produced sunflower and successfully sold their harvests to the company, earning substantial income.
Despite the success, Phiri highlighted a few challenges faced by the farmers. These include lack of trust in the intervention due to limited exposure to structured markets, long distances to market points, and the impact of climate change, particularly prolonged dry spells that affected crop production.
“To overcome these issues, we are planning to establish sub-centres in various villages. This will make it easier for farmers to sell their produce closer to home and reduce transportation barriers,” she said.
Community-based trainer Esnart James Boreman shared her personal success story. She said the training and farming opportunities provided by FARMES have transformed her life.
“I’ve made a good profit from sunflower farming. I’ve used the money to start poultry farming, buy goats, and build a fence around my house. I will definitely continue with this type of farming because it has helped me a lot,” Boreman said.
Another farmer, Eliya Francisco, also shared how he pushed through initial setbacks to achieve success.
“My first attempt at sunflower farming didn’t yield much, and I didn’t earn a lot of money. But I didn’t give up. This time around, I’ve earned enough to buy fertilizer, which I’ll now use for my maize crop. I’ll continue with sunflower farming while also growing other crops like maize,” he said.
FARMES is a government programme funded by the Government of Malawi in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It aims to enhance access to financial services and improve market opportunities for smallholder farmers across the country.
By Hellen Luwayo, Balaka
