MK1 Billion investment in LESP

The livelihoods Support Programme being implemented by COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited has invested MK1 billion Kwacha in the Legumes Enterprise Structured Program (LESP) to enhance food security and income generation in participating households under SSRLP.

 

Coordinator of the program at COMSIP Febron Mwiba says the savings and loan groups involved, are those that showed interest to join the programme and are already involved in farming activities.

 

Speaking to this publication, Mwiba said “this year the number of participating groups has increased and we have diversified the seeds to be cultivated as we have incorporated more districts”

 

Despite the program initially focusing on legumes, this year groups are producing soy, white and orange maize, beans, pigeon peas, groundnuts and rice.

 

According to Mwiba, all the crops are earmarked for sale except the orange maize which is for consumption.

 

“We are encouraging beneficiary household to adopt orange maize as their staple food as it has more nutrients that the white maize, so those groups that opted for maize production got two types, the orange one being for consumption,” he said.

 

COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited is expected to be the off taker of the produce under LESP, and will identify other markets so that the participants get fair prices for their labour.

 

Through LESP, the program is supporting the participants with wholesale farm inputs needed for their crop of choice.

 

 “We are given funds for every farm input from fungicides, pesticides, masks, sprayers, fertlizers, to best seed varieties. We are also embracing actionable climate-smart agriculture practices, including producing and applying Mbeya manure in our fields that replenish fertility and moisture for our crops to do better as you can see,” says Hagai Chiwere, community facilitator of Tikondane cluster of T/A Kabudula in Lilongwe one of the participating SLGs.  

 

“As a group, we produced more than enough in the 2022/23 season and made K2.4 million from selling 85 bags of maize alone. This helped to improve lives of members. The project has a steady market for our produce at good prices than the government’s farm gate prices. We got farm inputs worth K2.8 million from COMSIP this year and we have used the inputs on 10 hectares, we hope for the best” he says.