Up to 6,000 smallholder farmers are set to supply mango to a new processing plant being built on the shores of Lake Malawi, in an exciting new public-private partnership for Self Help Africa.

The initiative, which sees Self Help Africa recruiting, training and supporting the organisational development of smallholder out-growers across Malawi’s Central Region, is projected to earn each farmer up to $600 per annum from the sale of fruit.

The company will source fruit from its own commercial farms, but has also engaged with Self Help Africa to develop an out-grower supply chain to boost production and enable local small-scale farmers to access this lucrative new market.

To date, close to 4,500 farmers who have mango groves on their small-farms have been identified and registered, and have been organised into producer groups to supply to Malawi Mangoes Ltd.

As a part of the scheme more than 100,000 improved variety mango trees will be planted on small farms, while a further 150,000 improved variety mango cuttings will be grafted onto existing low-yielding mango trees on these farms.

The project, which was started in 2012, will also support leadership training, organisational development of local farmer groups, improve the productivity of mango on farms, and promote a range of improved farming practices, including support for small-scale drip irrigation.

Self Help Africa’s Malawi Country Director, Amos Zaindi, said that the scheme has huge potential, and provides a valuable example of how Self Help Africa can help smallholder farmers improve productivity and access a lucrative international market for their produce.