LILONGWE AGRIBUSINESS OFFICE ADVISES FARMERS TO FORM GROUPS

Janet Mtengezo (front) emphasizing a point

The Lilongwe District Council Agribusiness Office has advised farmers from Traditional Authority Chadza in the district to consider forming groups such as clubs and cooperatives.

Lilongwe District Agribusiness Officer, Brenda Mwagomba was speaking on 11 August at Chikanga Primary school where 45 tobacco farmer members of Tama Farmers Trust from around Msozi area were being sensitized in how cooperatives are established.

She encouraged the participants to proceed with their intention to establish a cooperative as the area has none.

“Government has stopped focusing on single farmer trainings but farmers in groups such as clubs or cooperatives. We would like the farmers from TA Chadza to benefit from national grants such as Agricultural Commercialization (AGCOM) Project just like others are doing,” she said.

Prior to her comments Cooperatives Development Officer, Janet Mtengezo from the Ministry of Trade and industry sensitized the participants on what a cooperative is and how a cooperative is established upon request by the farmers after undergoing a financial literacy training organized by Tama Farmers Trust. She said that it is a requirement by the Cooperatives Societies Act that farmers are first sensitized before they express interest to register as a cooperative.

“A cooperative is made up of 10 members at a minimum and must be from a radius of 20 kilometers. It is after this sensitization meeting that you must express your intent to register with the ministry in writing after which a five-day training would be arranged,” she said.

She also advised the participants to ensure having one or two commodities of focus that together they should bring their ideas, time, money, land and efforts together so that with their short and long term plans they would get returns that would transform their livelihood.

Lilongwe District Labour Officer, Chiletso Mbewe trained the same participants in child labour, forced labour and tenancy labour. She said that these elements of labour are the most sought decent work deficits that the industry ought to deal with.

She said, “with child labour, children have their rights blocked. They fail to acquire safe livelihood as they always get exposed to hazardous environment leading to health and education problems that affect the future of the child labourers.”

On tenancy labour she made the participants aware of the abolished law. She said that the ministry of labour was working on regulations for the implementation of the outlawed tenancy labour system that was rampant in tobacco sector.

On forced labour Chiletso Mbewe said that in modern times and specifically in tobacco sector, farmers would employ a husband while intentionally exposing a spouse to the same labour without pay. She said this is an area that farmers need to address by offering both separate contracts or stop family members from helping in paid work of a single contracted member of the same family.

Tama Farmers Trust provided a skills training in social dialogue so that they should speak with their workers (tenants) on best way of transitioning from tenancy labour to waged labour. The farmers accepted that the area still has tenancy labour in place but with the trainings they would start transitioning. Mrs. Rosemary Joviala is a Chadza TAMA Zone leader who has since committed to ensure that of the 45 participants, assessment will be done followed by monitoring the process to be able to trace any positive changes in respect to tenancy labour. The Trust also trained the farmers in occupation safety and health risk assessment skills in a bid to have safe working farms. Sam Kalimba is leading the ‘Mlimi Wozindikira’ ADDRESS project and advised the farmers to take heed of all the lessons learnt and put them to practice.

Tama Farmers Trust with funding from the international Labour Organisation in its ongoing ADDRESS project (Addressing work deficits and improving access to rights in Malawi’s tobacco sector) with funding from the government of Norway is ready to provide a platform for 5 communities to get knowledge on cooperatives establishment.

The project is in Lilongwe at TAs Chadza and M’bang’ombe, in Mchinji at TAs Mduwa and Dambe, in Kasungu at TAs Kawamba and Wimbe, and in Mzimba at TAs Mzukuzuku and Mwabilabo.

End.