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Smallholder farmers in Malawi continued to face market related challenges. As such African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (AICC) organized a farmers’ conferences in Lilongwe and Mzuzu. The meetings were held at Crossroads Hotel and Chatonda Lodge in Lilongwe and Mzuzu respectively. AICC conducted these meetings in order to create platform for stakeholders including farmers, buyers, input suppliers, processors and consumers to discuss and plan for 2018/19 commodity markets.

Integrity platform which is recognized as a National Chapter in Formation (NCiF) for Transparency International conducted a media briefing about the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The media briefing was held at crossroads hotel on Tuesday 29^th January, 2019. The overall aim was to officially launch the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index results released by Transparency International with specific objectives of presenting the national global corruption perception scores & ranking and to raise awareness on the seriousness of corruption.

AICC is set to roll up training of SMEs through the Agribusiness Acceleration Initiative (AAI) this week.

The Agribusiness Acceleration Initiative (AAI) is a NORAD funded project that is jointly being implemented by MUSIKA of Zambia and AICC of Malawi from 2018-2020. The project aims to increase capacity of the highest potential SME agribusinesses to deliver market services to the smallholder market and build commercial partnerships between SME agribusinesses, large scale agribusinesses, input suppliers, financiers, output market players, supportive service providers and other market actors.

The initiative is envisaged to;

·    Increase small agribusinesses turnover.

·    Increase small agribusiness profitability.

·    Enable small rural agribusiness increase number of farmer suppliers/customers.

·    Facilitate small rural agribusinesses increase their range of market services.

·    Facilitate small rural agribusinesses increase their workforce.

The Initiative is using a three inter-related intervention to achieve its objectives namely:

1.  SME Training program that focuses on SMEs to be trained in fundamental business principles by project staff using recommendations from large agribusiness partners and other stakeholders

2.  SME Mentorship program that focuses on one on-one business support to be executed by project staff and service providers, supported by large agribusiness / other commercial partners

3.  SME business linkages Initiative which focuses on linking highest performing SMEs with financial service providers and potential business partners.

The initiative engages Agro dealers that are small traders and commodity aggregators, Veterinary companies and other livestock service providers as well as Mechanized service contractors who are Transporters in the agricultural market.