Missio USA Representatives Happy with Progress at Chipunga Farm
By Stephano Nkhata
The Chief Lending Officer for Missio Invest Africa Mr. Keith Polo and the Regional Coordinator Fr. Celestino Bundi Mutea recently visited Chipunga Farm Limited to check on the progress being made at the farm especially on the two main crops, coffee and macadamia.
The Diocese of Karonga acquired the farm with a loan obtained from Missio USA to engage into serious agricultural production as a drive towards self-sustainability. Currently most activities of the Diocese are funded by partners.
Activities on the farm began immediately after the farm was handed over to the Diocese on 4th January, 2018. The Diocese has planned to invest in coffee and macadamia nuts production. The farm covers an area of 286.876 hectares and the Diocese intends to have 150 hectares of coffee and 100 hectares of macadamia nuts.
During the visit to Chipunga Farm, Polo and Fr. Bundi were accompanied by Father John Chitsulo of Blantyre Archdiocese and Mr Duncan Magwira from the Episcopal conference of Malawi who is currently the coordinating person for Missio funded projects in Malawi.
Stephano Nkhata gave background information for Chipunga Farm to the visitors and later on supported by James Kasambala went to the coffee and macadamia nursery beds to show them what we are actually doing on the ground.
About 48 000 seedlings of coffee have been raised and others amounting to 40 000, seeds of coffee have been sown on a nursery bed still for the same purpose. The farm has a yearly target of 20 ha of coffee each year and one ha contains 4 000 seedlings on a one meter spacing depending on variety of the coffee.
Keith Polo and friends were later shown the nursery for macadamia nuts. Macadamia nuts take about two years before being transplanted into the main field.
After this, the visitors were taken to the main field where the farm has this year planted 20 ha of coffee.The picture below shows group members on a farm vehicle on their way the main field.
The visitors were quite impressed to see the pace and progress of the major activities of the farm. They advised the team at the farm on areas that need constant attention.
Bishop Mtumbuka Impressed with Progress of Work at Chipunga Farm
By Admin
Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka has expressed satisfaction with the work being done on Chipunga Farm Limited, which belongs to Karonga Diocese.
The Bishop made these remarks in a message after a three hour tour of the farm. The Bishop said he is very pleased with the work being done on the farm. In comparison with what he saw last week at Mughese Farm in Misuku, the Bishop said there is a “huge scale of work being done” at Chipunga.
“The nursery of macadamia has started off very well and the one of coffee is huge and impressive. Those who worked on the water system did an excellent job,” reads part of the message.
“The size of the Farm itself makes it very clear that this is a huge and challenging project for but also a very big blessing for it… [is] such a huge and highly viable farm,” said the Bishop.
“If in ten years’ time this Diocese can’t be self-reliant financially, we will have only ourselves to blame and future generations will not forgive us,” said the Bishop.
The Bishop Mtumbuka is also impressed with the work being done at the livestock farm in Nthalire, where he visited three weeks ago. Bishop thanked the officers involved in these projects.
Chipunga Board Members in Farm Inspection Tour
By Stephano Nkhata
During the January 2018 meeting, Chipunga Farm Limited Board resolved to immediately start the farm operations. To this effect, a Farm Manager was sent to the farm and several farm labourers were recruited.
Seven months after the meeting, the Board Chairperson Mr Ben Longwe in the company of Mrs Kufasi Chawinga and the Board Secretary, Stephano Nkhata made an inspection tour to follow up on the activities that are currently being done on the farm.
During the tour, the board members inspected the following activities: timber making where close to 3500 planks have been produced, half of which has already been sold. Further, about 20 hectares of land has been cleared in preparation for the next coffee growing season. Stumping off of trees is still going and only 5 hectares remain. Mendling and trenching are also underway. At the time of the visit, 8 hectares of land is ready for the growing of coffee in December.
Nursery management is also in progress and so far 32,400 seedlings have been transplanted into tubes and other 48,000 have been directly sown into tubes.
In their remarks, the board members said there is substantial progress at the farm as they are now able to see that something is happening on the ground. The Board Chair was grateful for the commitment of the personnel working on the ground. Their general impression is that there is good progress at the farm.
The members recommended the expansion of income generating activities, especially horticultural produce.
Chipunga Farm Limited Board Holds First Meeting
By Stephano Nkhata
The Board of Directors for Chipunga Farm Limited held their first meeting on 14th January where among other things, they elected office bearers. This meeting followed the official handover of the farm earlier this month.
Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka of the Diocese of Karonga appointed the Board of Directors to play an advisory role in the management of the farm.
Mr Bob Jere, a lecture in Aquaculture at Mzuzu University, who had earlier been appointed Interim Chairperson chaired the meeting. During the meeting, the Board members confirmed Mr Bob Jere as Chairperson of the Board.
In the absence of the Executive Director, Mr Stephano Nkhata, Resource Mobilisation Officer, was confirmed as Secretary of the Board. The allocation of Board members into different positions was based on experience and field of specialization.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Jere expressed gratitude to the board members for entrusting him with the task. He promised to together with the members and Diocese as a whole to achieve the mission of the Diocese of Karonga.
The chairperson also thanked Bishop Mtumbuka for the best composition of the Board.
“The Board members are people of dynamic skills and expertise which is very advantageous to the smooth running of the farm,” He said.
Other members to the Board include: Mr Paul Guta, Business Administrator for Nedbank Malawi; Mr John Gift Mwakhwawa, Lawyer; Mr Ben Longwe and Mr Clement Mwale, Engineers; Mr Alfred Longwe and Stephano Nkhata, Marketers; Madam Kefasi Chawinga, Land Management specialist.
The board has also ex officials who will help a lot in the development of the farm. Among the ex-official members is Mr Daniel Zimba who has a vast experience in the growing and production of Coffee. Other ex-official members are Father Cecilio Silwamba, Director of Finance, Investment and Administration; Mr Mwawi Shaba, Caritas Secretary; Mr Franklin Msiska, Development Desk Officer.
Karonga Diocese Takes Over Chipunga Farm Limited
By Stephen Nkhata (Resource Mobilisation Officer)
Karonga Diocese continues to expand its income generating base and has recently acquired Chipunga Farm Limited with a financial loan from American Conference of Catholic Bishops. The previous owner of the company was Mr Bernard Shwarz.
The official handovers took place on 4th January, 2018 at Chipunga Farm in Chikwina, Nkhata Bay. During the handover ceremony, delegation from Karonga Diocese was led by the Director of Finance, Investment and Administration, Fr. Cecilio Silwamba. Others included; Mwawi Shaba, the Caritas Secretary; Stephen Nkhata, Resource and Mobilization Officer; Memory Dzodzi, Human Resource Officer; Franklin Msiska, Development Desk Officer; James Kasambala, the newly appointed Farm Manager and Mr. Osward Mtupila, Diocesan Lawyer. The team of the previous owner was composed of Mr. Bernard Shwarz, his wife and Mr. Sam Kasambiza, an agent from Knight Frank ; a company that brokered the sale. The ceremony went on very well to the satisfaction of both parties.
Chipunga Farm covers 286.46 hectares of mountainous land of which approximately 40% is cleared, the remainder being woodland and built up area.
The estate is engaged in crop production with existing major crops being Macadamia which covers a position of about 20.9 hectares and coffee 3.6 hectares. The farm also possesses facilities for livestock farming.
The built up area comprises dwelling houses, offices. Store rooms, ablution block, water reservoirs, coffee drying tables, papery, receiving and fermentation tanks. However their conditions vary from good to dilapidated, typical for agricultural properties.
Karonga Diocese intends to plant the majority of the hectares with coffee and also expand macadamia hectares . Karonga Diocese has taken a path towards self-sustenance through investments such as Chitipa Filling Station, which serves the whole district of Chitipa and surrounding areas. The Diocese also has Misuku Coffee Farm which covers 15 hectares, out of which 3.2 hectares have been developed. The other project in the pipeline is the Uzumala Farm in Rumphi District.