President Lazarus Chakwera says there is need to scale up value addition to the country’s raw materials to boost their competitiveness on both domestic and export markets.
Chakwera was speaking on Friday when he visited Kwithu Kitchen, a women-owned food processing cooperative in Mzuzu.
He said various players in the country’s economy should put up joint efforts in increasing volumes of manufactured products to substitute imported ones that put a drain on foreign currency reserves.
“I am very impressed by Kwithu Kitchen’s huge investment in processing plants to add value to agricultural produce, including tomatoes and honey. This is the way to go in order to ensure that the country’s economy grows sustainably,” Chakwera said.
He added that value addition is in line with the country’s development blue print, MW 2063, which is premised on innovation in the exploitation of local resources to create national wealth that is inclusive.
Kwithu Kitchen co-founder Dr. Ann Msowoya Keys said the organisation, which started in 2013, grew out of Kwithu Women’s Group that was formed as a community based organisation (CBO) to feed vulnerable children.
Msowoya said with help from Maloto, a US based non-profit organisation, the CBO saw a business opportunity in processing tomatoes on a much larger scale, and they registered instant success on the market.
She said they started taking orders from big supermarkets and hotels for supply of their processed tomato products.
“Kwithu Kitchen expanded its product line in April 2020 and began processing high quality Malawian honey. Kwithu Kitchen immediately became the largest honey supplier in the country.
“Our products are found in major supermarkets in the country including Shoprite, Sana and Chipiku Plus, as well as in major hotel chains like the Sunbird Hotels and in many restaurants and institutions,” she said.
Reported by Yamikani Sabola
