Government prompts groups on 30% Agcom contribution
Secretary for Agriculture, Grey Nyandule Phiri, has urged producer organisations wishing to access grants from the Agriculture Commercialisation (Agcom) project to be ready with their 30 percent contribution towards the initiative.
Nyandule Phiri was speaking in Lilongwe when three cooperatives signed matching grants with Agcom.
The three are Mtendere Tea and Horticulture Cooperative Society Limited from Thyolo; Minyali Cotton Marketing Secondary Cooperative Society Limited from Chikwawa and Cheka Integrated Agriculture- Aquaculture Cooperative Society Limited from Ntchisi.
He said of the eight groups that qualified for matching grants in Agcom, only three managed to raise a 30 percent contribution.
“Let me repeat that it is a prerequisite requirement that a cooperative that has been awarded Agcom matching grant first contributes 30 percent. This is why you might notice that out of the eight producer organisations that qualified for Agcom matching grants, only three cooperatives are here today signing the grant agreement.
“I, therefore, would like to urge all producer organisations that are applying for Agcom matching grants to be ready to make a 30 percent contribution because this is a very important step for them to qualify for the award of the project grant,” Phiri said.
The project development objective is to increase commercialisation of agricultural value chain products selected under the project.
Agcom National Coordinator, Teddie Nakhumwa, said the project is concerned with the quality of applications from producer groups.
Nakhumwa said out of the 79 applications they received, only 44 went over to the proposal stage.
