Chikwawa cotton linked to international organisation

from Malawi's Daily Times

BY JOEL PHIRI

COTTON growers in Chikwawa stand a chance of making huge returns from their cotton farming as a chance has unveiled itself for the farmers to have their cooperatives linked to Fair Trade.

Fair Trade is an international organization that fights for trade opportunities for products originating from developing countries on the international market.

The deal, sealed through a Malawian student, Andy Chamthunya of Nottingham Trent University‘s (NTU) Students in Free Enterprise (Sife), would open doors for the growers.

Speaking on Thursday in Chikwawa, when he consulted the farmers, Chamthunya said his desire was to link local farmers to Fair Trade.

He said the move came out of his realisation that local cotton growers have for a long time been exploited by local merchants when it comes to pricing.

“In UK products from developing countries like Malawi such as cotton and coffee linked to Fair Trade organization are liked most by the populace there because those who buy such products realize they are contributing to ending poverty in those countries,” he said.

He therefore said, realizing how unfair prices of cotton are on local market, he decided to come to Malawi to mobilize local farmers to form cooperatives so that the cotton should be acquired at good prices through negotiation skills of the organization as one block.

He said they would be working with Chikwawa local farmers as a pilot phase before going into other districts.

“We are starting with Chikwawa cotton growers this July before we move with the project to other districts. We want this to be a national project so that more cotton farmers should benefit from this Fair Trade organization, “he explained.

According to president of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Jonathan Keith, Fair Trade organization facilitates the acquisition of the products from local farmers by dealers in developing countries on better prices.

“Unlike local cotton merchants who tend to buy such cotton at less than K50 per kg, Fair Trade organisation involvement will mean buyers buying at a higher price,” he said.

He said under the agreement, cotton would be sold at K80 per kg, but K10 will go to the community.

Keith also said farmers in the country will benefit much in terms of prices when they will be linked with Fair Trade.

He therefore appealed to the local farmers to mobilize themselves by forming cooperatives from which the international organization will be acquiring the cotton from as a single block.

According to Keith, they had talks with Ministry of Trade and Private Sector Development officials on the need to train farmers on management of cooperatives.

The training will target an estimated population of over 50,000 farmers in Chikwawa alone.

Chairperson of Chikwawa cotton growers association Allan Charlison expressed optimism that the linkage the students want to facilitate with the local farmers will open a new chapter in the local cotton growers’ chapter.