Bee farmers from Rumphi and Nkhata Bay districts are thriving courtesy of new technologies introduced by the Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (Trade) programme.
In partnership with Find Your Feet (FYF) project, the programme trains farmers to commercialise and add value to their honey and connect them to markets.
Speaking during a media visit on Thursday, Steven Mughogho from Chipimpha Producers and Marketing Cooperative under Mwazizi Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Rumphi District, said he previously struggled with traditional agriculture but Trade programme has equipped him with modern beekeeping methods.
“Through these methods, I harvested 1 800 kilogrammes [kg] of honey and realised K15 million from the sales. I bought a car and a motorcycle from the proceeds. I also pay fees for my three children,” he said.
Another farmer, Vincent Ng’ona, from Mpoto Cooperative, also under Mwazizi EPA, encouraged Malawians to embrace beekeeping for financial resilience.
Trade programme communication specialist Oscar Ulili said integrating rural producers into structured value chains has led to formal contracts between farmers and off-takers.
He said: “Through the Trade programme, we are witnessing a shift from subsistence beekeeping to profitable agribusiness in Nkhata Bay and Rumphi.
“By using modern Langstroth beehives, providing technical training and establishing direct links with formal off-takers, we have eliminated production bottlenecks; hence, farmers are able to generate a lot of profits.”
Trade programme is hosted by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Opec Fund for International Development
