Director of cooperatives tips coops

The director of Cooperatives in the ministry of trade and industry Limbikani Kachiwaya has encouraged cooperatives to capitalize on value addition to realize more from their trades.

He was speaking in the northern region during his visit to cooperatives that are prying different trades, including Zindi and Nkhongono kwa Banthu in Karonga and Bolero Cooperative in Rumphi.

Kachiwaya also encouraged cooperatives to take advantage of government initiatives aimed at promoting cooperatives i.e AGCOM 2 and NEEF for them to boost their capital and capacity.

The director, who is also the registrar of cooperatives also encouraged the groups to be visionary and invest much in value addition to realize more returns on their products.

 “As the ministry responsible for cooperatives we have funds that are meant for cooperatives. We want 2024 to be a vibrant year for cooperatives where we train more cooperatives on value addition, support them with technical know-how on how they can benefit from government initiatives like AGCOM, and be their middle men where government service providers are delaying services like electricity connection” he said.

Kachiwaya also briefed the cooperatives on a new loan from NEEF where cooperatives can get as much as 250 Million Kwacha for projects.

He therefore encouraged the cooperatives to put their records in order for them to access such opportunities.

In her remarks, the cooperatives coordinator at COMSIP Anne Nyirenda commended the Director for the visits saying the cooperatives have been encouraged.

She said “We are hopeful as COMSIP that our cooperatives will improve, having heard from the highest authority the opportunities that are there for organized cooperatives that are serious with business.”

One of the visited cooperatives was Lusangazi Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society Limited and after the meeting, chairperson of the cooperative which benefited from a COMSIP grant for training, AGCOM 1 in 2022, has 253 collective dairy cows, and has been in existence since 1980, welcomed the visit and said they are to start soon on the application so that they benefit from AGCOM 2”

He said as a cooperative they are doing well and are currently going into yoghurt production which is in line with the directors’ call for value addition.

COMSIP Cooperative union Limited has over 250 cooperatives registered by the government.