Kwithu Kitchen, a small and medium enterprise (SME) firm in the agribusiness sector, has hailed the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) trade mission, saying their participation has set the stage for its expansion and growth.
Kwithu Kitchen, manufacturers of Wild Mountain Honey, Kambuzi Hot Chilli Sauce and Mango Jam, among others, participated in the horticulture meeting hosted by the European Union (EU) in Lilongwe.
The mission is supported by the Comesa Regional Enterprise Competitiveness and Access to Markets Programme funded by the EU under the 11th European Development Fund.
In an interview on Wednesday, Kwithu Kitchen chief executive officer Anna Msowoya said the trade mission provided an opportunity to the firm to explore new market access that could enable it to create a regional value chain.
She said: “Instead of relying on imports from Europe, we now see the potential to export goods within the African region, particularly with other businesses under Comesa.
“This regional approach helps strengthen local economies and reduces dependency on distant markets.”
Msowoya further said the mission gave the company valuable insights on the importance of involving the youth in agribusiness and how to modernise business operations and production processes.
“For instance, we plan to mechanise Kwithu Kitchen’s processing procedures, which will enhance efficiency and productivity,” she said, adding that the measure would help her company remain competitive on the market.
Kwithu’s plans to recruit more youths coincide with a recent Mwapata study, which showed that youths involvement in agriculture had declined.
The study titled ‘Prospects and barriers to youth engagement in agriculture and food systems in Malawi’ found that limited acesss to land and lack of financing are some of the factors forcing the youth to lose interest in farming.
In an interview on Wednesday, Comesa Business Council chief executive officer Teddy Soobramanien, who led the delegation, said the EU market presents significant opportunities for African producers, noting that the Netherlands alone accounts for 28 percent of the regional bloc’s horticulture exports and the global import valued at 10.6 billion euro (about K20.3 trillion).
The EU was Comesa’s top export market in 2022, accounting for 44 percent of exports, a rise from 41 percent in 2021.
The trade bloc also served as the leading source of imports for the region, according to EDF programme manager at Comesa secretariat Mshuka Kamwelathe.
