My family arrived in Japan last week and I am now spending less time online because I am yet to connect the Internet to my new home. The only time when I come online is when I am in the lab at the University. As a result, the last time I wrote an article on this blog is 10 days ago. Today, I am bouncing back with some good news from my home area.
Last week, the Daily Times reported that farmers in coffee growing districts of Rumphi, Mzimba and Chitipa (a.k.a. the Land of Mzuzu Coffee) have diversified their production to venture into wheat cultivation.This development has been facilitated through a MK200 million grant from the European Union (EU) funded Farm Income Diversification Programme (FIDP).It is further reported that farmers have for the past year been receiving 40 tonnes of wheat seed, grown over 500 hectors of land.The Chief Executive of Mzuzu Coffee Planters’ Cooperative Union, Harrison Kalua, said they are more than prepared to invest in wheat flour processing if they register sustainable production of wheat from predominantly coffee growing areas.
As someone who comes from Rumphi, I am pleasantly surprised with this development. I never knew that this area has the potential for wheat cultivation. I am now eagerly looking forward to the establishment of a wheat flour processing plant in the area in the near future. I would also like to encourage the Mzuzu Coffee Planters’ Cooperative Union to consider commercializing the other common farm produce from this area. Apart from coffee, this area is rich in irish potatoes, pineapples, vegetables, beans etc. When I went home five years ago, I saw a number of young people carrying bags of tomatoes from Uzumala to Phwezi for sale. I was told that they were making a good income. On lighter note, with the diversification that is going on, the Mzuzu Coffee Planters’ Cooperative Union should start looking for a new name.
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12 users commented in " Wheat cultivation in the land of Mzuzu Coffee, a welcome development "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI was wondering about the silence. You must be very happy with your family with you now.
The news about wheat growing shows that what other countries have achieved is beginning to hold true to new comers too. Crop diversification has been a boon to many traditional farming communities and your fellow community people are bound to benefit.
I also like your idea of the coop taking on other projects. If there is good leadership and sincere efforts, this dream too can come true.
I wish your countrymen all the best.
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Clement Nyirenda says:
February 19th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
@Nicole: Yes, I am excited because my family is now with me here. It is really difficult to get back online because I am yet to connect the Internet to my new home. I hope to bounce back in full after two weeks. My new internet connection will be 100Mbps.
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The Chief Exec. sounds like an opportunist. I hope that he is doing if for the good of his people and not simply just to turn a buck.
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I like your idea of the coop taking on other projects. If there is good leadership and sincere efforts, this dream too can come true. Keep it up.
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Just found your blog through Google, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoy it. Thank you for the info. I’m looking forward to the additional valuable information here.
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Well I think this could just as you said a great development for the zone but I also think the idea is great, but we also have to take into account that fields must be carefully treated…
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First and foremost I would like to commend for your untiring effort to promote our beautiful country Malawi. You are as patriotic as ever cousy. You are right Mphompha-Usowoya-Uzumala belt is really suitable for a lot of cash crops including tomato and paprika which some quarters had tipped would replace tobacco as a major foreign exchange earner in Malawi. with good and wise leadership of CEO Harrison Kalua we will achieve a lot.
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Clement Nyirenda says:
February 28th, 2009 at 9:37 am
@Dumi: That is why we are here in the blogosphere – spreading the news from the land of our birth. You will be amazed to hear the number of people that follow up these articles.
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So that’s why you weren’t posting! I was affraid something’s happened. Giving people money for development is the best form of help. It’s like this one charity that gives micro-loans for starting bussineses. If everything goes right this grant may really help out the area in the next couple years.
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Corp diversification is also needed for the land to be fertile. If you grow the same corps for over the years, the land will loose its fertility and the production will decrease. The option of wheat on the land of coffee is a brilliant idea and definitely it needs a welcome.
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Interesting news. I think it’s important for the poeple of any region to diversify economically, so it’s good that the coffee farmers are also considering growing wheat. If one industry hits hard times, they can fall back on the other.
.-= Coffee Addict´s last blog ..Zojirushi 64 oz. Thermal Carafe =-.
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It’s nice to hear about this news that agriculture is advancing and farmers has given options . It also means that there will be a big progress and a better economy in the future. This is really an awesome news to share.
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