By Vincent Gunde

The Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing the Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme ( SAPP 11) within the administrative districts of Mzimba, Lilongwe, Dowa and Balaka.

Farmer Challenge Fund ( FCF) seeks to provide financial resources to implement upgraded agricultural production systems by local farmer groups, women, men and youth.

in order to operationalize the Farmer Challenge Fund (FCF), SAPP 11
contracted the consultant to develop the guidelines that will be used to administer the Farmer Challenge Fund.

Presenting the FCF SAPP 11 project to the District executive committee (Dec) in Dowa, Dowa East Agriculture Crops Officer Chifundo Mpoola, said the overall objective of the assignment was to develop guidelines to facilitate the implementation of Matching Grants under the Farmer Challenge Fund for SAPP 11.

Mpoola said the assignment to develop guidelines for FCF was aimed at developing Matching Grant guidelines for both production and agro – processing and Value Addition Window.

She said Matching Grants under FCF production window under FCF production is USD 4 million financing farmer groups that are facing constraints related to improving production and productivity.

She said Agro – processing and Value Addition Window USD 6 million will prioritize financing towards purchase of assets and equipment for agro – processing in the target value chains as well as improving quality standards as part of market integration.

The officer said the criteria for accessing FCF Matching Grants will be minimum of 10 farmers who are engaged in active agriculture  activities, members should come different households and families, individual persons that have a common bond, group that is either village based, and group that has a specific enterprise or service to offer to its members as laid  down in the eligibility criteria.

” Initial stage will invite farmer groups to provide an abstract summary or concept of the proposed project or investments they are planning to undertake,” said Mpoola.

She said the District Council through the Agri -business officer will be responsible for providing necessary tools to interested farmer groups to apply for the Farmer Challenge Fund Grant.

In his remarks, Dowa District Council’s Director of Agriculture Services Chikumbutso Liwonde, has urged potential beneficiaries that this is an opportunity that has come to farmers in the district observing that one of the challenges farmers are facing, is capital.

Liwonde said farmers may be in groups producing but they are not able to reach their potential because of the constraints of capital saying with the coming of these Grants, potential groups or farmers will make sure that they fully utilize this opportunity by developing their business plans or concept notes so that at the end, they will be able to benefit from these Grants.

” As a district, we already sensitized the potential groups, extension workers will go to the potential groups to assist them in  developing their business concept so that when they are ready, they should be able to submit to SAPP 11,” he said.

The Farmer Challenge Fund (FCF) SAPP 11 project is being financed by the European Union ( EU) through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).