World Connect

Scaling-Up Value Addition for Incomes and Nutrition (SUV4IN)

Year: 2024

Country: Malawi

Project Status: Funded

Impact Sector: Economic Opportunity

Project Investment: $16,355.23

Project Launch: 8-27-24

The "Scaling up Value Addition for Increased Income and Nutrition" (SUV4IN) project, implemented by the Chilimika Cooperative, aims to enhance production and income for its 85 members, 53% of whom are women. By investing in an oil pressing machine, the cooperative will add value to soybeans and groundnuts which were previously sold raw at lower prices. To achieve this, the project will construct a factory unit and provide training for its members in oil processing, food safety, hygiene, and business management. This initiative is expected to increase the current average annual income of K260,000 per farmer by fivefold while at the same time offer a readily available market for its members, reducing the need for traders to travel over 30 kilometers to town for wholesale cooking oil.

Project Update: 1-16-25

To boost farm returns, the Chilimika Cooperative is implementing an upscaling project aimed at adding value to their oilseed products to maximize profits. The initiative has already made significant progress, with the construction of a 7m by 5m cooking oil processing unit now at the roofing stage with project materials such as timber, iron sheets, and nails already procured and ready for installation. In addition, the cooperative has fully paid a Malawian company for an oil processing machine, capable of processing 100 kilograms per hour, sourced from outside Malawi pending delivery. Expressing satisfaction with the project, Estery Kapondasoka, 33, stated, “The processing unit and the machine will enable the cooperative to handle more raw materials, creating a self-sustaining market. This increased demand will strengthen the financial stability of cooperative members while benefiting the entire community.”