By Kondwani Kandiado
Communities in Dowa and Kasungu districts have hailed the Livelihoods support programme being implemented by COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited for introducing the Legume Enterprise Structure Programme (LESP) in their areas.
The members say through the program in which they contribute 30 percent, they have managed to become food secure while at the same time start up small scale businesses from profits realized from sale of surplus.
They said this on Monday during a media tour COMSIP organized for Dowa and Kasungu.
Under the program, participants contribute 30 percent towards purchase of farm inputs while the rest is shouldered by the livelihoods support program, a sub component of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project, which COMSIP is implementing.
Eluby Phiri of Masaka Cluster in Kasungu said through the inputs she got from COMSIP identified agrodealers, she managed to harvest 22 bags of maize weighing 50 kilograms each from an acre last year.
“After selling the surplus, I have been able to support my son’s education through fees and other school requirements,” she said.
Phiri says she expects to have an increased yield this growing season as she has already bought the farm inputs under the COMSIP project.
Grace Chombo a community facilitator at Masaka Cluster in T/A Wimbe Kasungu said the project has assisted farmers in buying certified seeds from certified agrodealers.
“In the past we were not able to afford buying the inputs but now we are able to buy a quantity we want depending on the size of our farm land,” she says.
Rebecca Munthali, a COMSIP caseworker in Dowa under Traditional Authority Dzoole said the LESP program has seen increased profits for the participating households through the sale of surplus.
“Different households have been able to set up group businesses while individual households have been able to invest in livestock and purchase of family assets through proceeds from sale of farm produce,” she said.
Chairperson of Khwema cluster in Dowa, Gremison Kachikonga said through the project, farmers are able to increase the amount of inputs based on the sizes of their farm land.
Kasungu District COMSIP coordinator, Christina Josiya said in an interview that through the project they would like to alleviate poverty and ensure food security among households.
“We are happy that since the project started a number of households have been transformed as some have been building houses, paying fees for their children and bought livestock,” she said.
She further said through the program, participants are given funds for every farm input ranging from fungicides, pesticides, masks, sprayers, fertilizer to best seed varieties. Farmers are also embracing actionable climate smart agriculture practices including producing and applying mbeya manure in their fields that replenish fertility and moisture for crops.
The organization has invested K2.6 Billion in LESP this farming season to enhance food security and income generation in participating households, providing farm inputs support grants to 844 Savings and loans groups and cooperatives and 27,321 households (10,002 males and 17,376 females) in 15 districts.
The beneficiaries are households on social cash transfer and public works programme under the SSRLP, a government of Malawi project being implemented with funds from World Bank and Social protection Multi Donor fund.
Through the project, COMSIP is expected to be the offtaker of the produce and will identify other markets for project’s participants to get fair prices from their labour.
Currently targeted districts in the southern region have already procured the farm inputs.
Pic: Some beneficiaries smiling after receiving the farm inputs
