Buying and value addition processing by SMEDCO
* SMEDCO is buying surplus tomatoes amid concerns over low market prices and potential post-harvest losses
* And preserving it for six months to be released back on the market when it becomes scarce while also processing tomato sauce and tomato paste
By Chipangano Andisen, Malawi News Agency (MANA)
Tomato farmers in Malawi have called for sustainable markets and affordable financing, saying high production costs, pest and disease challenges, and unstable prices continue to expose them to losses despite significant investment in the crop.
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The farmers made the call following an intervention by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO), which is buying surplus tomatoes amid concerns over low market prices and potential post-harvest losses.
SMEDCO Media & Communication Officer, Micah Nthere, told MANA that the corporation introduced the initiative after receiving concerns that farmers were making losses due to excess supply on the market.
Nthere said some farmers were selling tomatoes for as little as K1,000 per 10-litre bucket, prompting SMEDCO to intervene as part of its mandate to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“We could not sit back and watch farmers lose their investment, so we intervened,” he said, adding that SMEDCO is still buying tomatoes in different areas across the country, with prices being negotiated between the corporation and farmers depending on prevailing circumstances.
He said some tomatoes are being processed into sauce for use when fresh tomatoes become scarce, thereby reducing losses.
“This is not only reducing losses but also creating an opportunity for value addition,” said Nthere, adding that SMEDCO is also allowing farmers to use its processing machinery while providing them with an opportunity to acquire skills in tomato processing and value addition.
One of the farmers, Yoel Kavina, welcomed the intervention but urged government and other stakeholders to establish reliable markets for tomatoes to enable farmers to earn better returns from their produce.
Kavina said tomato farming requires substantial investment in pesticides, fertiliser and labour because the crop is highly vulnerable to pests and diseases.
“Tomato farming is very expensive. If the market is not stable, you end up making a loss despite all the investment you have put in.”
He thus called for affordable financing for tomato farmers, saying access to loans for inputs will enable farmers to finance production and repay the facilities after selling their produce.
Kavina proposed the establishment of dependable markets with reliable buyers, saying such arrangements can help farmers avoid losses when tomatoes become abundant on the market.
Another farmer, Lawrence Magalasi, welcomed SMEDCOs intervention and called for its continuation, saying the initiative can benefit both farmers and consumers.
“Many of us were afraid of losing everything because the market is flooded with tomatoes,” he said. “We hope this initiative continues so that farmers do not suffer losses every season.”
He urged government and other stakeholders to sustain the intervention and introduce similar initiatives to help farmers reduce losses and add value to their produce.
“Processing tomatoes into products that can be stored and used when fresh tomatoes are scarce can also benefit consumers by improving the availability of tomato products beyond the fresh tomato season,” Magalasi said.
SMEDCO is preserving it is buying tomatoes from farmers for six months and would be released back on the market when it becomes scarce while also processing tomato sauce and tomato paste.
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