By Vincent Gunde
A total of 1,000 smallholder farmers in Dowa District are expected to benefit from an agricultural support project by Malawian company Warm Core Company Limited, which seeks to boost crop production, improve market access and increase household incomes.
The project, targeting farmers in Traditional Authorities (T/As) Chakhaza and Mulalo under Madisi Extension Planning Area (EPA), will focus on soybean and groundnut production, with 60 percent of beneficiaries expected to be women and 40 percent men, including young people.
Presenting the project to the District Executive Committee (DEC), Warm Core Program Coordinator Dalitso Muronya said the initiative will provide agricultural inputs, training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and farm business management, as well as market linkages for farmers.
Muronya said eligible farmers must be willing and able to grow soybeans or groundnuts on at least one acre, with produce marketed at prices based on prevailing market conditions and agreed quality standards.
“The project will increase productivity and household incomes of farmers in the soybean and groundnut value chains while building reliable market access and sustainable commercial relationships between farmers and Warm Core,” he said.
Muronya added that the company and participating farmers will sign written agreements outlining their respective responsibilities, input support, produce marketing arrangements and other terms of engagement.
However, Dowa District Council’s Social Welfare Officer, Jonathan Bonongwe, urged the council to carefully scrutinise the agreements, warning that some profit-making organisations may present attractive proposals without adequately explaining potential long-term consequences to communities.
The council’s Director of Planning and Development, Phillimon Maseko, also recommended joint monitoring and supervision of the project’s activities, with regular reporting to help assess implementation and review agreements between organisations and communities.
