LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi government through Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism is in the verge of coming up with a new polices on Small and Media Enterprises (SMEs), cooperative development aimed at supporting the vibrancy of agricultural markets in the rural area.
The legal frameworks are expected to create a conducive for rural farmers accessing vibrant markets for their produces.
Wiskes Nkomezi, Director for SMEs and Cooperatives Registrar in Ministry of Trade told the Lilongwe’s Tuesday day long National Validation Workshop on Making Agriculture Markets Work for the Poor Rural Farming Households that vibrant markets give out the right price that enables farmers plan their activities.
Nkombezi observes that a vibrant market also signals financers on how to direct their credit hence the need for proper legal framework.
“Agricultural markets play in the socio-economic development of rural poor farmers. It signals transporters, agri-input suppliers, extension workers and whole agriculture sector for proper planning purposes.
“The ministry therefore will endeavour to create a conducive legal and regulatory framework for agricultural markets to work in Malawi,” assures Nkhomezi.
Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) National Director Pamela Kuwali said through the study outcomes on the need for vibrant markets will make sure that rural farmers get their value for produces.
Kuwali said validation workshop’s objective was to validate the draft rapid assessment report which is now in its final completion phase, pending official regional validation.
She added that the workshop also intended to disseminate the rapid assessment preliminary results and to provide the guidance on the next steps to proceed.
“The rapid assessment sought to provide evidence on how poor smallholder agricultural producers and poor rural and urban consumers are interacting with agriculture markets in the four (4) Oxfam countries, namely Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“The rapid assessment study recommends an in depth analysis of the value chains under study to further understand the challenges that rural poor farmers face in their entry and participation of the value chains and what specific interventions would lead to the active participation of the poor,” says Kuwali.
With technical and financial support from Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) and Oxfam Southern Africa, the conference attracted researchers, government, private sector, farmers, civil society and local policy champions to have a discussion on key issues around making agriculture markets work for poor rural farming households.