One Village One Product in Malawi

Malawi Government

Japan International
Cooperation Agency

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1 September 2008
	Commonwealth Secretariat consultations with stakeholders on the development of strategic options for OVOP Secretariat. Consultations are being conducted by Mr Ramesh Arunachalam in liason with OVOP Secretariat. (27th August - 15 September 2008)
	OVOP Group Training (OGT)for Biriwiri Farmers and Marketing Cooperative Society Limited was conducted at NICE Offices and RTC in Ntcheu. Topics covered included OVOP Concept Understanding, Introduction to Improved Skills for Food Processing, Marketing Strategy, Product Packagig and Labelling and Participatory Business Training. (26th- 29th August 2008)
	OVOP Malawi through JICA hosted Research Fellows from Overseas Development Institute. The Reseach fellows ( Dr Dirk te Verde and Dr Fletcher Tembo) visited selected active and upcoming OVOP groups to learn experiences from Malawi's OVOP Programme. (25th August - 29th August 2008)
	OVOP Antenna Shop was opened in Area 3 (Opposite Dc's Offices) in Lilongwe. Products available at the shop includes OVOP Kirombero and Faya rice, Banana wine, Cassava Flour, Ground nut cooking oil, Dried Vegetables, Palm Oil soap, Baobab Jam, Wooden furniture table set,Cane and bamboo furniture, Moringa Powder and many others. (25th August 2008)
	OVOP Malawi hosted a delegation from Zimbabwe. The main aim was to learn from OVOP Malawi's endevours as a model for Rural Economic Development in Africa. The delegation visited Blantyre and Lilongwe City Assembly OVOP Committees, Mitundu Agro Processing Group, Bwanje Valley Milling Cooperative, Khumbo Oil Refinery, Bvumbwe Dairy Farmers Group. At the end of visit the delegation exprerssed satisfaction on the lessons learned. The delegation was led by Deputy Ambassodar to Malawi Mr Matondorotya. ( 18th - 21st August 2008)
	6th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting for JICA funded Institutional and Human Resource Development Project for OVOP, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Lilongwe, Malawi ( 13th August 2008)
	A Marketing Review Meeting was conducted for active OVOP groups at Bunda College of Agriculture in Lilongwe.Sixteen active OVOP groups were invited for the review meeting. The aim of theMarketing Review meeting was to provide OVOP groups with an opportunity to learn from each other about what problems each group has faced and how the problems have been solved; to let OVOP groups understand that utmost efforts by both OVOP groups and OVOP Secretariat are needed for the successful operation of the Antenna shop and to discuss options for marketing structures of OVOP products after one year trial period of the Antenna Shop. ( 6th August 2008)
	OVOP Secretariat through JICA engaged a Short Term Expert (Mr Shinichi Mori) on OVOP Marketing Strategy. The outcome of the assignment was to "Strengthen the Marketing System of the OVOP Programme in Malawi. ( 6th July - 18th August 2008)
	OVOP Group Training (OGT) for Mitundu Agro Processing Group at Mitundu Teacher Development Centre . The training was on OVOP Concept understanding, Introduction to Improved Skills for Quality Control (QC) and Hygiene, Introduction to Development for New Product and Marketing Strategy and Sales Promotion of OVOP Products. ( 21st July - 22nd July 2008)
	Commonwealth Secretariat and OVOP Secretariat conducted a National Consultative Workshop on the Development of Stretegic Options for the OVOP Secretariat in Malawi at Livingstonia Beach Hotel in Salima. ( 3rd - 4th July 2008)
	OVOP Malawi hosted a delegation from Uganda. The aim of the visit was to learn from Malawi experience with the Implementation of the OVOP programme. Of major interest was the institutionalisation of the OVOP Programme in Malawi. The delegation visited Bwanje Valley Rice Cooperative, Nankhaka cassava Group and Katengeza Cane and bamboo furniture among others. ( 24th - 26th June 2008)
	OVOP Malawi attended the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) under the theme "Towards a Vibrant Africa" . TICAD IV was co -held with African Fair 2008 where 40 African countries displayed and sold products from their countries. OVOP products that were displayed at the fair included baobab jam, palm oil soap, cow dung cards and cane furniture. ( 28th -30th May 2008)
	OVOP groups participated at athe 20th Malawi International Trade Fair at the Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds in Blantyre. The theme for the International Trade Fair was " Promoting Export led Growth through Regional Trade.Twelve OVOP groups participated and showcased fifteen different types of products ( 16th -24th May 2008)
	Cooperative Member Education training for Malabada Brick Making Group in Ndirande, Blantyre in corraboration with Ministry of Trade and Industry ( 7-11 Apr 08)
	Cooperative Member Education training for Ntcheu Potato Crisps Processing group in corraboration with Ministry of Trade and Industry ( 31 Mar-4 Apr 08)
	5th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting for Institutional and Human Resource Development Project for OVOP, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Lilongwe, Malawi ( 5th March 2008
	Follow Up OVOP Business Training Course at Natural Resources College in Liliongwe Covering wovwe , Hara, Mitundu Agro processing, Kunthembwe Nsinjiro, Nankhaka Cassava Processing, Katengeza cane and Babmoo Furniture, Zipatso Juice, BCA Carpentry, Bwanje Rice Processing and Tikoleraneko Groups ( 19 -22 Feb 08)
	OVOP Secretariat hosted an International Seminar for African Countries in Lilongwe, Malawi ( 22-24 Jan08)
	OVOP International Seminar for African Countries In Malawi preparations in Lilongwe, Malawi (Dec 07- 20 Jan 08)
	OVOP Intensive Training Course at Rumphi District Assembly Chamber covering Chitipa, Karonga and Rumphi Districts (4-10 December)
	Training of Trainers Workshop on Processing of Specific Foods Products organised by OVOP Secretariat, Jomo Kenyatta University and Bunda College of Agriculture (19-21 November)
	OVOP Intensive Training Course at St Theresa TDC in Liwonde covering Machinga, Mangochi and Neno districts (27-30 November)
	OVOP Business Training Course at natural Resources College covering Mendulo, Malabada, Muona, Zumulu, Likangala , Lufiliya groups (6-9 November)
	OVOP Intensive Training Course in Mponela covering Ntchisi, Balaka and Dowa (23-27 october)
	OVOP Intensive Training Course in Zomba covering Zomba, Chiladzulu and Blantyre (25-28 September)
	OVOP review meeting (20 October)
	OVOP Intensive Training Course in Nkhotakota covering Nkhotakota, Salima and Likoma (28-31 August)
	OVOP Intensive Training Cource in Kasungu covering Kasungu and Mzimba (24,Feb-27, July)

One Village One Product Programme (OVOP) is a community-centered and demand-driven regional economic development approach initiated by Oita Prefecture in Japan in the 1970s. The uniqueness of the approach is that they intended to achieve their regional economic development through adding value to products using locally available resources through
Processing, quality control and marketing. At the time other regions in Japan relied on external resources, such as budgetary support from central government and huge investment by private companies for their economic growth. Following symbolic slogans of OVOP in Oita namely 'Think Globally Act Locally', 'Self-Reliance with creative spirit' and 'human resource centered Development' Oita prefecture has been showing fairly stable development and progress for the last few decades
Further detail

Concept of OVOP in Malawi

1. Definition of OVOP

Development of produce or services through value adding by communities using locally available resources in a designated area.

2.Major Activities of OVOP Programme

To promote OVOP concept approach of economic development at community level.

To promote value adding technologies, such as agro-processing, quality control and packaging, at the community level.

To facilitate small-scale business skill development at the community level.

To promote market linkages between products & services from community and domestic/international markets.

OVOP Projects in Malawi

1.Number of OVOP Funded Projects
Year	2003	2004	2005	2006	2006	Total
Number of Project	4	14	12	4	13	47
Number of Beneficiaries	700	2,000	5,500	590	pipeline	8,790
Finded Amount(1,000MK)*	3,300	8,467	4,400	845	pipeline	17,012
*Estimation from some major projects sales

ONE VILLAGE ONE PRODUCT PROGRAMME (OVOP) SECRETARIAT
MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

P.O BOX 30312 LILONGWE 3, MALAWI
Tel: (265) 01 770 698/606
Fax: (265) 01 770 698
E-mail: ovop@malawi.net/ovopnc@malawi.net