Malawi - Macadamia Smallholder Development Project

Macadamia Smallholder Development Project (MSDP) has a high priority among the GOM development objectives. The project aims at alleviating poverty in the rural areas, by raising rural incomes and identifying the economic base. MSDP will also foster an enabling environment for private sector development through improvement of the essential agricultural services to farmers, increasing investment in rural infrastructure and appropriate training packages. Most importantly, the MSDP will focus on the smallholders, women farmers, youth; and the groups with substantial untapped growth potential. One of the most notable strategies proposed under the project is strengthening the farmer groups or creating new groups were appropriate. This will empower the smallholders by enabling them to determine their own affairs in terms of their agricultural activities. The project will have five components: nursery development, including mother and community nurseries; crop development including supply of credit to smallholder farmers; research and extension support, capacity building including support to farmer group organisations; infrastructure development, including construction of buildings and rehabilitation of gravel access roads and Project Management.