140 000 Malawi women farmers eye SA markets

About 140 000 organic irrigation women farmers in the country will start exporting their produce to South African market, a move expected to promote financial independence among the women.

The project is a Wilchris Holdings Limited initiative under the trademark Proudly Dzukani, and the firm has so far identified business premises in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Malawian produced farm produce will be sold to South African consumers.

Through the project Malawian women farmers as a group are estimated rake in between K500 million and K1 billion a year.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, the company’s managing director Getrude Nyirenda said that currently, her team is discussing with their South African counterparts on plans to start exporting the produce to the South African market.

“We are currently talking to the team in South Africa on roll out plans so that perhaps we can start exporting organic potatoes to Woolworth and other organic stores and we will work as a team to monitor and evaluate the progress,” she said.

Nyirenda said that through the project, there will be 10 franchise opportunities in Johannesburg for a start that will include cane products and textiles from Malawi.

One of the women plying her Irish potato trade in Ntcheu said that the move would help open more opportunities for them.