Farmer-to-Farmer is a USAID-funded initiative to send American agricultural/agribusiness experts to developing countries to offer technical assistance to our host organizations. These trips are volunteer-based, but all trip-related expenses are covered by CNFA, and typically last between two and three weeks.
Ngolowindo Farmers Cooperative was first founded in 1985 under the Malawi government program of constructing irrigation schemes for smallholders farmers, and became a registered cooperative in 2001. Ngolowindo Farmers Cooperative now consists of140 farmers who work on 17 hectares, of which 14 are under tomato cultivation. The performance of the cooperative has been deteriorating in the last few years as a result of a combination of factors in production as well as with business management of the cooperative. The cooperative is seeking assistance from a Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer to train its farmers on how to successfully grow tomatoes and overcome the pest infestation, especially through natural, homemade remedies.