Nasfam earns praise from donors
Irish Minister of International Development Neale Richmond has commended National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (Nasfam) for prudently utilising donor funding to transform the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. He said during a tour of Nasfam commercial factory in Lilongwe on Friday that the visit gave him a rare opportunity to witness how donor investment moves … The post Nasfam earns praise from donors appeared first on Nation Online.
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Irish Minister of International Development Neale Richmond has commended National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (Nasfam) for prudently utilising donor funding to transform the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
He said during a tour of Nasfam commercial factory in Lilongwe on Friday that the visit gave him a rare opportunity to witness how donor investment moves “all the way through the cycle” from farm production to finished products on supermarket shelves and school meals.
Said Richmond: “My visit has confirmed a shift we want Ireland’s development cooperation to embrace: moving beyond humanitarian support to investments that grow local economies and create lasting markets.
their products. | Daniel Nyanjagha
“When we talk about investments made by our trade, enormous development is not humanitarian. It’s how we can see it all the way through the cycle and how what we’re investing is supporting the local economy, providing the alternatives.”
Nasfam chief executive officer Betty Chinyamunyamu said visits by development partners are critical for transparency and planning.
“These visits are important to us because funding comes from our development partners. So it’s important that they see the successes and also appreciate the challenges we face,” she said.
Chinyamunyamu said the commercial factory adds value to crops and runs a laboratory that tests aflatoxin, nutritional content and contamination, ensuring products are safe.
She said the visit also opened discussions on exporting Nasfam products to Ireland.
Nasfam is the largest smallholder-owned membership organisation in Malawi, dedicated to promoting small-scale farming as a profitable business.
It empowers farmers through commercial marketing and policy advocacy, among others.
The post Nasfam earns praise from donors appeared first on Nation Online.
