Africa-Press – Malawi. The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has commended National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) for its tireless efforts in reducing post-harvest losses among smallholder farmers in Malawi.
AGRA Malawi Country Programs Lead, Valentine Miheso, made the remarks after touring NASFAM Commercial in Lilongwe on Thursday.
AGRA is leading a multi country county initiative, the RE-GAIN Programme (“Reducing Post-Harvest Food Loss through Climate Resilient Solutions”) in partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to address climate-linked harvest and post-harvest food losses across sub-Saharan Africa.
In Malawi, NASFAM and Opportunity International Malawi are together implementing PRIME project (Post-harvest Loss Reduction for Improved Farmer Livelihoods in Malawi) under the REGAIN Programme.
Smallholder farmers losing up to 30% of their produce due to inadequate harvesting and post-harvest handling practices. Limited access to food loss reduction solutions (FL-RS), low awareness and utilization of climate information services for post-harvest management, and weak market incentives for quality produce aggravate the situation.
This, the PRIME Project seeks to promote the widespread adoption of Food Loss Reduction Solutions to strengthen the climate resilience and adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers by expanding inclusive access to finance, support context-specific and gender-responsive innovations that reduce food losses, and create an enabling environment for increased public and private investment.
In his remarks, Miheso praised NASFAM’s critical role in empowering farmers to improve their harvesting and storage techniques.
“NASFAM has been a key partner in our efforts to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food security in Malawi. Their work with smallholder farmers has been instrumental in promoting better harvesting and storage practices, ultimately contributing to improved livelihoods and food security,” he said.
“Through our partnership with NASFAM, we expect to significant reductions in post-harvest losses, resulting in increased incomes for farmers and improved food security for their families. This is a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership in driving positive change in the agricultural sector. We look forward to continuing our work with NASFAM and other stakeholders to support smallholder farmers in Malawi,” he said.
NASFAM Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dr Richard Petautchere said their work focuses on empowering smallholder farmers to become more resilient and competitive in the market.
By providing training and support on improved harvesting and storage techniques, Dr. Petautchere added, the organization is helping farmers to reduce losses and increase their incomes.
The reduction of post-harvest losses is a critical component of Malawi’s efforts to improve food security and promote sustainable agriculture. With organizations like NASFAM and AGRA working together, the country is on the path towards achieving these goals.
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