By George Banda
Government has disclosed that about 200 farmer groups in the country will soon start accessing World Bank matching grants under the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project ( MWASIP) aimed at increasing sustainable watersheds management.
MWASIP Technical Team Member Andrew Chamaza disclose this during a Media interface in Blantyre.
Chamaza said: ” Currently we are in the first core of disbursing funds and by the end of October beneficiaries will start accessing the matching grants”.
“We are expecting to finish disbursing the matching grants in the first core by 15 November this year and 450 million Kwacha is expected to go to 37 farmer groups while 15 Agri-business enterprises will pocket 433 million Kwacha” He added.
Chamaza was optimistic that by the end of next year all the beneficiaries of the project are expected to receive the matching grants under MWASIP.
According to MWASIP Technical Team Member farmer groups and Agri enterprises from 5 districts namely Ntcheu, Neno Blantyre, Zomba and Neno are expected to be beneficiaries of the first core of the marching grants.
The World Bank approved 157 Million United States Dollars with the Malawi Government contributing 3 million USD for the 160 million USD project.
