Don’t rush to sell farm produce, people advised

 Mchinji district principal agriculture extension methodologies officer Kumbukani Mndalira has cautioned farmers against rushing to sell their produce before identifying proper markets.

She issued the warning on Wednesday during a field day organised by National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (Nasfam) at Kawerawera in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kazyozyo.

Mndalira said sometimes farmers end up selling their produce to buyers who do not abide by the government-set farm gate minimum prices, thereby making losses.

She said: “Government and Nasfam share a common goal to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

“Therefore, farmers should not be hasty in selling their produce as they may not benefit.”

Mndalira, while acknowledging the scarcity of markets in the country, asked farmers to ensure they have quality produce that can fetch better prices.

Nasfam board member Hardson Gadi encouraged farmers not to rely on inorganic fertilisers only, saying with the high cost of living, some may not afford to buy the fertilisers.

He urged them to use organic fertilisers such as Mbeya.

“As Nasfam, we also teach farmers how to make Mbeya fertilisers, which are cheap and easy to make using easily accessible items such as ashes and animal waste,” said Gadi.

He also emphasised the importance of conducting field days, saying they motivate farmers as they see how others are benefiting from farming.

Monica Banda, Nasfam in-grower farmer of Mbanga Club in T/A Kazyozyo, testified to how she has benefitted from groundnut farming.

With funding from the United Nations Development Programme, Nasfam seeks to increase groundnut exports through production and marketing innovations