On Robert Mugabe Highway between Blantyre City and Mulanje District, bicycles carrying bundles of pasture flash past in quick succession.The animal feed on the move is to the old Midima Road what charcoal peddlers are on other roads.
The burdened bicycles heading for neighbouring Thyolo and Chiradzulu districts swayed some 68 men and 32 women to form a milk-producing group.
“It wasn’t for nothing these people were cycling from as far as Chiradzulu to fetch pasture here. We wanted to be like them,” says retired soldier George Kazembe, leader of Golden Dairy Cooperative in Mulanje.
However, dairy cows were costly, with each fetching between K600 000 and K800 000 depending on its size.
Inspired to cash in on the rise of dairy farming in the southwestern zone, the group asked their nearest agricultural extension officer how they could get funding from the $333 million Agriculture Commercialisation (Agcom) project, funded by the World Bank.
“We first heard about Agcom on the radio, but the extension officer helped us to produce a winning proposal,” says Kazembe.
The milk producers have qualified for K129 million grant to buy100 dairy cows and build modern housing for the prized animals.
Agcom requires them to contribute 30 percent of the sum they need to boost their farm enterprise.
“We wanted K129 million, but we’ll get it in installments as we look for our contribution,” says Kazembe.
Last year, Golden Dairy Cooperative received K41.7 million from Agcom after contributing K6 million in cash and K11.5 million in kind.
They have contributed another K6 million in readiness for the next installment.
With the first, the group has bought 250 iron sheets, 100 bags of cement and steel nails distributed to the recipients of the first 50 cows.
“We shared the goods publicly and went door to door to ensure each cattle housing was up to standard,” says procurement committee chairperson Christopher Nkhoma.
Each recipient will receive a churn, a cylindrical container for the transportation of milk.
“We bought for the future, so we got five to seven-month-old Jersey and Frisian cows that produce more milk than local Zebus,” says Nkhoma.
To treasurer Feranji Thunga, manure constitutes the first benefit from the fledging cows.
She says cow dung has boosted maize yield which kept falling due to loss of soil fertility and climate change.
The mother of six hopes to harvest over 10 bags from a field that produced three to five.
“Despite the drought early this rainy season, I have a healthy crop nourished with manure, which boost soil fertility and moisture retention. I wasn’t affected much by dry spells and costly chemical fertiliser,” she says.
According to Agcom national coordinator Ted Nakhumwa, the second phase, launched by President Lazarus Chakwera last year, seeks to create 560 farm enterprises within six years.
He says the project has made tremendous progress in sensitising strategic players, including those skipped in the first phase.
Nakhumwa adds: “We have also made great strides in building productive alliances, the hub of Agcom where we build productive organisations to have off-takers that are ready to buy the produce and have signed an agreement.
“In this way, the producer understands not only the demand for the commodity, but also the quality and value required by the buyer.”
Golden Dairy Cooperative envisions each cow producing 20 litres of milk daily, totalling 1 000 litres.
They have agreed with Lilongwe Dairy Limited to buy the white stuff at K500 per litre.
Every morning, John Brazil Lewis goes to the nearest riverbank to fetch pasture for his healthy cow, the same feedstuff that lure their role models from neighbouring districts.
“This cow is my pension,” says the teacher. “I’ll retire in three years, but one cannot live on monthly pension alone. I don’t want to suffer in old age. I’m laying the foundation for life after the salary.”
Michael Kumpoto, a teacher expected to retire next year, narrates: “Many white-collar workers shun farm work, but money hides in dirt. I don’t want to suffer when I’m too old to work. Many employed Malawians are just a medical bill away from poverty and life can be cruel when one retires and chronic illnesses kick in.”
About 30 percent of the group is set to retire within five years.
Nkhoma retired in 2010 as inspector of schools.
“Unlike many pensioners, I seldom go to the bank on the 14 of every month because farming guarantees me adequate food and income for my family,” he says.
Kazembe retired from the military after 26 years of service.
“I value my independence. Through farming and making timber, I have educated all my 10 children and they are self-reliant. I can afford basic needs, so I don’t bother them to provide for me instead of taking care of their families,” he states.
Kazembe says the future looks beautiful for the group’s farm enterprise.
He states: “The cooperative has taught us to work together and together we win.”
If we stay the course, I see every home owning dairy cattle that will give us manure for bumper yields and milk that will make us richer as the off-taker buys from us litre by litre.
