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Total number of member: 389 members (male: 181, female: 208)
P.O. Box 132, Bvumbwe, Thyolo, Southern Region
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At Malawi International Trade Fair |
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Zakudimba Cooporation makes leafy vegetables, onions, carrots, maize and dried vegetables. The shelf life for dried vegetable is prolonged, which enables us to eat vegetables throughout the year.
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Our Main Products |
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Dried Vegetable |
Dried Tomato |
Dried Onion |
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Basic Information |
24 July 2008 |
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Group Name |
Zakudimba Producers & Marketing Cooporation |
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Membership |
389 members (male: 181, female: 208) |
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Year |
Year of Establishment: incorporated in 2004
Year of OVOP participation: 2004 |
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Representatives |
Modestrar Malota / Felix Chuma |
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Address |
P.O Box 132, Bvumbwe, Bvumbwe, Thyolo, Southern Region |
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Tel |
0995 224 524
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Products |
Dried Vegetable (Onion, Tomato, Rape, Mpiru, Chisoso, Nkhwani, Bonongwe, Khwanya, Chinese Cabbage, Chitambe), Tomato Jam, Tomato Sauce, Pawpaw Jam, Granadilla Juice, Hibiscus Tea, Lemon Grass Herbal Tea, Soya Powder |
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Location |
Southern Region, Thyolo District, Bvumbwe Area |
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Market |
Bvumbwe Tradeing Centre, OVOP Antenna Shop |
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Group Information |
[Support from OVOP/JICA]
Purchase of 5 solar driers (MK30,000/machine). Recently accepted a loan for tomato puree machine. OVOP also distributed the Association’s T shirts to all the members.
[Support from Other Organizations]
Received a grant from Agriculture Development Research Program (ADERP) MK18.5 million to be used for cold rooms, mobile pumps, sprayers, seeds, etc. for three years from 2007.
[Contribution by members]
MK50/year. If not paid, it is deducted from vegetable sales.
[Support by District Assembly]
Agriculture Development Coordinators are assigned to each one of the clubs to give advice.
[Background]
The association was formed and incorporated in 2004, constituted from 23 farmers’ clubs (600 farmers). The number decreased because of the over-expectation of many farmers. The association listened to the radio about OVOP activities and contacted the village administrator, who introduced OVOP Secretariat to them.
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Strength and Opportunities |
[Human Resources]
The Executive Committee works as a trader of vegetables, while they pay MK200 as a membership fee.
[Production]
The Association intends to centralize all solar driers in one place so that they can apply for MBS.
[Product]
All members are producing organic vegetable by manure and natural insecticide.
[Market]
Vendors usually pay in cash, while hotels pay 3 weeks after the delivery. The demand for dried vegetables is bigger than the supply; vendors often have to wait for production.
[Promotion]
The Association could utilize radio advertisement for free of charge. The Executive Committee also prepared a poster.
[Infrastructure]
The Group is currently in preparation of the construction of a new factory for tomato puree and sauce under OVOP’s financing.
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Challenges |
[Production]
Use of solar driers is included in the member fee; although the Association wishes to have more solar driers (MK18,245 per machine), they cannot purchase them due to insufficient capital. On the other hand, it seems that only one solar machine is actually in use; people are rather drying vegetables in a traditional manner.
[Product]
Although dried vegetable sells well at the local market, supermarkets do not accept the product due to their poor package and non-accredited MBS status.
[Quality Control and Sanitation]
Neither quality control nor hygienic regulations are put in place.
[Capital]
Capital accumulation is not enough although the surplus is saved in a bank (current saving is MK18,000). If the Association had a capital, it wishes to deal with agriculture inputs to generate revenues for the association.
[Administration]
The Group does not have sufficient capability to conduct proper cost accounting.
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