By Patience Longwe & Lesnat Kenan

Lilongwe, March 22, Mana: Minister of Trade and Industry, Sosten Gwengwe, has encouraged partnerships and collaboration in resource mobilization amongst cooperatives in order for them to thrive in their business.

Gwengwe made the remarks in Lilongwe on Thursday when Commercial Farmers Cooperative Society (COFACO) hosted a business breakfast.

The event was held to facilitate information sharing between Malawi's captains of industry in agribusiness, development partners, donors and financiers with agriculture focused products to share opportunities.

Gwengwe said not only is partnership and collaboration important but also innovation which cooperatives and other related agencies should adopt.

"Mega farmers and the agribusiness players are increasingly using innovative approaches and scientific research, combined with traditional knowledge to increase the production of their field, diversify their crops, boost their nutrition and build climate resilience.

"It is for that reason that large scale farmers, commercial estate farmers and agribusiness owners with large farming estate, diversified livestock, aquaculture and agro-processing business ventures, organized themselves into a society to advance Malawi's economic development,” he said.

Controller of Agriculture Extension and Technical Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Alfred Mwenefumbo, highlighted the importance of the meeting to large-scales farmers saying farmers are getting interested to engage and hear more from prospective donors and financiers about mega farms.

"Malawians with big farms are getting interested to hear more from donors, including banks, and take advantage of such gathering to progress in their activities,” he said.

COFACO was registered in 2017 with Ministry of Trade and Industry. It works alongside the Ministry of Agriculture and the Mega Farm Unit