Lilongwe district commissioner (DC) Stallichi Mwambiwa has described agriculture as one of the most powerful areas capable of transforming the livelihoods of people in rural areas.
He said after touring Amari Dairy Production Cooperative in Traditional Authority Tsinde in the district on Wednesday that he was impressed that the cooperative members invested in dairy farming using their resources.
“It is interesting to see different professionals coming together to start dairy production using their resources,” he said.
kraal. | Andrew Mkonda
Mwambiwa noted that the country can achieve economic transformation if more people embrace agricultural activities.
“Cooperatives have the potential to contribute to food security, job creation and poverty reduction while supporting the government’s agricultural commercialisation agenda,” he said.
Amari Dairy Production Cooperative chairperson Ethel Majamanda said the cooperative envisions providing high-quality dairy products while improving the livelihoods of its members and surrounding communities through sustainable production systems, value addition, market linkages and the empowerment of women and youth.
“The cooperative remains dedicated to expanding its operations and creating economic opportunities for its members while contributing to the development of the dairy sector in the district,” she said.
Majamanda disclosed that in July 2023, the cooperative received K237 million matching grant from Agriculture Commercialisation II to boost their dairy farming business.
The cooperative, which has 169 members, was established in 2021 to venture into agriculture commercialisation.
