Comesa equips SMEs to meet global food standards
The Comesa Business Council (CBC) has urged Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to focus on two key areas to stay competitive in regional markets—enhancing value addition and adhering to regional safety standards.
Comesa Business Council president James Chimwaza made the call on Tuesday at Crossroads Hotel where his organisation launched the Local Sourcing for Partnership Training workshop.
The three-day workshop trained 50 SMEs on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)—a systematic, science-based, risk management system that identifies, evaluates, and controls food safety hazards.
Speaking at the launch, he said the training aims to equip agro-food suppliers with essential food skills in food safety, quality management standards and compliance. It also seeks to facilitate robust relationships between SMEs and corporate entities, thus integrating local suppliers into procurement systems.
He said: “We also want to enhance the participation of local food suppliers in the supply chain networks of multinational companies across Africa as well as develop and promote a local sourcing recognition certificate to incentivise and acknowledge corporate entities and SMEs championing local sourcing initiatives.”
Chimwaza, further said increasing value addition and standards will create opportunities for local players to generate more revenue from their sales and pave the way for local economic growth, in line with the agriculture, tourism and mining strategy initiated by President Lazarus Chakwera.
In a separate interview, Chief Enterprise Development Officer Alexander Mtsendero, who spoke on behalf of Secretary of Trade Christina Zakeyu, said the training will help unlock the potential of SMEs to boost the local economy and enhance their competitiveness in regional and global markets.
She said: “It ensures the safety and quality of our food products, thereby protecting our consumers’ health and enhancing our MSMEs’ reputation. Moreover, it opens up new opportunities for our enterprises by meeting the stringent food safety standards required in international markets.”
Compliance with the HACCP standards is a prerequisite for entering certain markets of partnering with larger retailers. Meeting these standards would open new business opportunities for local players in the Common Market for East and Southern African (Comesa) region and other blocs.
Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) senior certification officer Raphael Mpingo said his organisation remains committed to helping local SMEs to access cheaper services on quality compliance and standards.
On her part, Victoria Gunda, one of the participants, said the workshop would help improve their capacity to package and label their products for the international market.
