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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"