Topic 2009 June-January
|
|
The Independence day cerebrations.
6 Jul. 2009
OVOP Secretariat demostrated its activities at the Independence day cerebrations at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre through a "FLOAT".
|
|
|
OVOP Observation Mission.
22-26 Jun.2009
OVOP Observation Mission from Rwanda visited OVOP Secretariat, OVOP Booth at the 21st International Trade Fair, Bvumbwe Dairy Farmers Cooperative in Thyolo and Mapanga Honey Producers in Mulanje.
|
|
|
|
The 21st Malawi International Trade Fairs,
Business Link for OVOP Groups.
19-27 Jun. 2009
His Excellency, the President Ngwazi, Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, officially opened the 21st International Malawi Trade Fair on 19th June 2009 with the theme gPromoting Trade Beyond the Regionh. Products from 17 OVOP groups were exhibited and 11 OVOP groups sent representatives to the Fair. The products that were exhibited included OVOP Kilombero Rice from Bwanje Rice Producers and Marketing Cooperative and Hara Water Users Association, Cassava Flour from Rumphi Cassava Association, Kaporo Palm Oil Soap, Tangerine Juice from Zipatso Association, Nsinjiro and Ground nuts from Kunthembwe Nsinjiro Group, Cane and Bamboo Furniture from Katengeza in Dowa, Pure Honey from Mapanga Honey Producers from Mendulo in Mulanje, Pasteurised Milk; Cheese and Chambiko from Bvumbwe Dairy Farmers, Dried and Fresh Vegetables from Bvumbwe Vegetable Growers Association; Moringa Powder and Baobab Jam from Khumbo Oil Refinery; Banana Wine from Mkondezi Winery in Nkhata Bay. Representatives of the groups at the Fair appreciated the initiative taken by the OVOP Secretariat to promote their products at the Malawi International Trade Fairs. gIt is good that we participate at international trade fairs; we meet several companies and the public and it's also an opportunity for us to sell our productsh, commented one member at the fair. OVOP groups made approximately MK313,945 at this Fair, which ran from 19th to 27th June 2009. Individually, each OVOP group contributed to the total sales as tabulated below.
|
|
|
|
|
Geological Surveys Department.
10 May 2009
OVOP Secretariat discussed with Geological Surveys Department on the possibility of providing Marketing support to Bakali Ceramics of Chileka, Blantyre and Linthipe Ceramics Project in Dedza.
|
|
|
Mapanga Honey exported 70 litres of Honey to Japan.
5 May 2009
Mapanga Honey Producers, Processors and Marketing Cooperative Society Limited exported 70 litres of Honey to Five Tarant Company in Japan.
|
|
|
|
OVOP Groups Drilled on Quality Control and Assurance.
5-7 May 2009
Quality Control and Assurance are prerequisites for food safety and ensuring quality control in liquid foods is critical for any business. It is in the wake of this that the OVOP Secretariat, in collaboration with Bunda College of Agriculture has embarked on a series of Quality Control and Assurance training sessions for OVOP groups. Priority for this training was all groups dealing with food products because they have not been competing favorably on the food market due to poor quality products. The groups that were trained included Bvumbwe Dairy Farmers, Khumbo Oil Refinery, Mapanga Honey Producers, Mkondezi Winery and Mitundu Agro-Processing group. The training was conducted at Bunda College of Agriculture from 5th to 7th May 2009.
The training was conducted to: introduce basic principles of food processing, introduce some mandatory regulatory aspects, of food processing and hygiene in Malawi and introduce concepts of quality control and assurance aspects as stipulated in Standards MS19 and MS21 of the Malawi Bureau of Standards. Topics covered during the three days of training included: principles of food processing and preservation, hygiene and sanitation in food processing establishments, total quality assurance for small scale food processors, food packaging and labeling and regulatory aspects of food processing.
The training was very beneficial to the participants as it assisted the groups to understand regulatory issues on food processing and hygiene as indicated in Standards MS 21. The knowledge will assist the groups to produce quality products for better marketing and MBS approval.
|
|
|
Linda Holtes.
29 Apr. 2009
OVOP Secretariat was visited by Linda Holtes from South Africa, one of the organisers of the Min exhibition/trade fair held in South Africa. OVOP products were exhibited.
|
|
|
Cooperative Member Education.
20-26 Apr. 2009
Cooperative Member Education for Likhomo Bee Keeping Association in Machinga, Sabwankho Cotton Ginning group in Salima, Dalitso and Masula Tomato Processing groups in Dedza, Champhira Tomato Sauce Processing, Mabulabo Soya Bean Processing and Bazale Paulosi Moyo Tomato Processing in Mzimba; Simba zako fruit processing in Nkhatabay and Malaza Youth Club Brick and Tile processing in Nkhatabay District.
|
|
|
Officially commissioned.
9 Apr. 2009
Malabada Concrete Block Making Cooperative Society Limited and Mapanga Producers and Marketing Cooperative Society Limited were officially commissioned by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr George Chaponda, MP.
|
|
|
OVOP Newsletter Volume 5.
7 Apr. 2009
OVOP Newsletter Volume 5 was distributed to all stakeholders.
|
|
|
JICA training on Community Capacity and Rural Development.
30 Mar.-26 Apr. 2009
Principal Secretary for Rural Development, Mr K Kaphaizi and District Commissioner for Nkhata Bay, Mr Jack Ngulube, participated in JICA training on gCommunity Capacity and Rural Development, One Village One Producth in Oita in Japan.
|
|
|
Cooperative Member Education.
23-30 Mar. 2009
Cooperative Member Education for Mafinga Groundnut Oil and Kameme Sunflower Oil in Chitipa; Hara Cassava Processing and Wovwe Rice Group in Karonga; Shukurani Cassava Processing in Rumphi; Nhtiransembe Groundnut in Mchinji; Kasa and Mtendere Bee Keeping in Nkhotakota; Goliati Tomato Processing and Chipondwe Cassava Processing in Thyolo; and Tithokoze Lime Making and Tisungane Groundnut Oil Processing in Blantyre.
|
|
|
New OVOP Group Assessment follow up workshop.
11 Mar. 2009
New OVOP Group Assessment follow up workshop with District Assemblies for OVOP groups that were field assessed by November 2008.
|
|
|
|
OVOP Marketing Staff Enhance Marketing Skill.
1-14 Mar. 2009
Region-focused training on Strengthening Market Competitiveness of Agricultural Products for African countries was held at Tsukuba International JICA Center, Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan from 1st to 14th March 2009. The training was conducted to provide knowledge to local government officials and personnel in the private sector to understand how to produce, market and distribute the high value-added agricultural products, so as to improve related systems in their countries for targeting the global agricultural products market. The course drew participants from Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.
The objectives of the training course were for participants to understand the system and techniques of high added agricultural production and processing, to understand the system of standard/certification and quarantine system of agricultural products.
Topics for the training course were: strengthening of market competitiveness of agricultural products and agricultural development in Africa, agriculture exports from Africa, agricultural processing in Japan, quarantine system in Japan and risk analysis, marketing methods and trend of consumer/customer, central wholesale market, example of private enterprise (tropical fruit tree import) and direct sales market for farmers.
|
|
|
OVOP Radio Programme.
1 Mar. 2009
OVOP Radio Programme was commissioned on MBC Radio 1.
|
|
|
MBS Pass on Knowledge to OVOP and Bunda College Staff
24-25 Feb. 2009
The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) hosted officials from the OVOP Secretariat and its affiliated 18 food processing projects for an orientation workshop on Food Safety and Quality Control at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre from 23th to 26th February 2009. Also invited and present at this workshop were two lecturers from Bunda College of Agriculture who will be taking the role of capacity builders. They will also assist in the field monitoring the compliance with food safety standards.
Present at the opening ceremony was the Director of Industry, Mr Christopher Kachiza in the Ministry of Trade and Industry as well as Acting Director General for MBS Mr Devlin Chokazinga. In their speeches, both reiterated the advantages of implementing food safety standards for businesses and encouraged OVOP projects to comply to enhance the quality of trade following the vision of His Excellency Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika. The workshop facilitator was Mr Steve Kamuloni from MBS and components of the workshop covered the Malawi Standards MS19 and MS21 with emphasis on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), a tool to ensure that food products that are produced are safe and of a desired quality.
Consistent with the objective to improve safety and quality, Bunda College of Agriculture will carry out a capacity building programme for OVOP groups and has scheduled training sessions to drill OVOP projects effectively on the food safety and quality concepts as relayed at the MBS workshop in Blantyre. After the training sessions each of the OVOP projects will be monitored. Their compliance will earn OVOP groups certification by the MBS. OVOP has encouraged groups to establish Quality Control Committees to offer on-site monitoring for compliance with Standards MS21 and MS19 of the MBS.
|
|
|
Capacity Building.
11 Feb. 2009
OVOP participated at the workshop on Capacity Building for Aflatoxin Management and Control in Groundnuts in Malawi held at Chitedze Library Conference Room.
|
|
|
Khumbo Oil Refinery.
9 Feb. 2009
Khumbo Oil Refinery was handed the Hiramatsu OVOP Promotion Award by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development witnessed by the Japanese Ambassodor Mr Moyotoshi Noro. The Award was made at the OVOP International Seminar held in November 2008 in China.
|
|
|
|
The 7th JCC Observed Progress of OVOP
4 Feb. 2009
The 7th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting was held on 4th February in the Main Conference Room at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. The meeting was chaired by Mr K Kaphaizi, the Principal Secretary for Rural Development and was widely attended by representatives from Bunda College of Agriculture, MARDEF, SEDOM, MEDI, MIPA, MEPC, JICA and related ministries.
Agenda items included progress report on the OVOP Programme since the last JCC held in August 2008, JICA supporting activities for JFY 2009-2010 and a briefing on the formulation of succeeding JICA support after 2010. The progress report consists of 1) New OVOP Group Formulation for 2008/09, 2) Sensitizations for City Assemblies, 3) Partnership with MARDEF, 4) Training Programmes for OVOP Groups and OVOP Desk Officers, 5) OVOP Groupsf Business Performance, 6) OVOP Products Marketing Promotion, and 7) Product Quality Control.
The JCC is held every half year for monitoring OVOPfs activities which are mainly funded by JICA.
|
|
|
Data Collection for OVOP Radio Programme.
2 Feb. 2009
Data Collection for OVOP Radio Programme by MBC facilitated by OVOP Secretariat.
|
|
|
OVOP Group Training (OGT).
20-23 Jan. 2009
OVOP Group Training (OGT) for Mzimba Gemstone Mining Cooperative Society Limited was held at Tovwirane Orphan Center in Mzimba District.
|
|
|
Submitted Product samples to Jetro Japa.
18 Jan. 2009
Submitted Product samples (Rice, Cassava flour, Kapolo soap, cowdung cards, Jam and Moringa Powder) to Jetro Japan in readness for the product fair which was held in April in Japan.
|
|
|
Annual review meeting.
16 Jan. 2009
Annual review meeting for Mitundu Agro-Processing Group was held at Mitundu Processing Unit The OVOP Secretariat observed the meeting.
|
|
|
|
|
