Farmers’ cooperatives in traditional authorities (T/As) Maganga and Ndindi in Salima District have commended school-feeding programme supported by World Food Programme (WFP) for creating markets for their produce.
Speaking on Friday during a media tour the district’s education department organised for stakeholders to appreciate the project’s progress, the farmers said the school-feeding programme has provided ready markets for their produce.
T/A Maganga in Salima District
Funde Farmers’ Cooperative chairperson James Makhavu said the programme has motivated them to produce more, thereby boosting their economic gains.
He said: “Previously, we were struggling to find markets for our commodities and vendors were taking advantage of us.
“However, after WFP started implementing the school-feeding programme, things started to change and now we are on a safer side.”
Makhavu said the project has helped them to expand their businesses.
He said: “Currently, we are not only selling crops but we are also doing value addition to make more profits.
“Our achievement is that we have also acquired a tractor from Agriculture Commercialisation.”
Maganga Farmers’ Cooperative secretary Aida Selemani said apart from improving their livelihoods, the programme has also helped them to form a farmers union where they shareideas.
“At first we could not supply the needed commodities to schools because we had no capacity but we formed a cooperative to outsource commodities from our fellow farmers,” she said.
Mikute Primary School Food Committee chairperson Kasimu Audi from T/A Maganga said the cooperatives have helped schools to sourcecommodities easily.
“The arrangement will help schools not to face food shortages whileimplementing the project,” he said.
WFP is supporting the home-grown school-feeding programme to motivate learners to remain in school and improve children’s nutrition as well as performance.
