Cooperation between WBI and MEDET was signed in december 2006.

In the first stage of our cooperation, we are working on development of rice in the surroundings up North of Mzuzu and later around Karonga Lakeshore Area. Plans are to be revealed for maize as well. For the moment; we are starting on rice marketing services: the good rainfall and fertile swampy land enables the people of Mzenga area to grow rice although due to lack of modern farming technology and knowledge the potential yields of rice is not attained.

However, even the current levels of production are big enough that the people have surplus that they wish to sell. Unfortunately business men from the urban areas come to buy non milled rice from these farmers at a very cheap price soon after harvest. Rice in these communities is grown by nearly every family.

In order for farming families to get reasonable prices for their rice, MEDET has been assisting the people by selling the rice through friends and well wishers in the cities using the organization’s transport. Again due to limited transportation, MEDET has in the past year been able to assist only 100 farming families representing 500 family members by selling their non milled rice at 0.35 USD per kg instead of the local price of 0.15 USD per kg.

Also according to plan is to have warehouses, where we can store the milled rice for bad times.