Services

Field Development

Infrastructure and field development

Training

Training courses focused on understanding organisational development, business understanding, corporate governance, agriculture and environmental trainings, HIV/AIDS

Loans

Offering of short term credit from a revolving fund to assist members with establishing other income generated activities

Community Development

Corporate social responsibility through community development activities funded by Fairtrade Premium.

Our Programs

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Phata is within the primary sector of the agricultural industry. Primarily it grows sugarcane which it sells to Illovo. In addition, it also has diversification initiatives.

Diversification - Food Crops Production

Phata produces food crops such as maize, rice, sugar beans, and sweet potatoes under sprinkler irrigation (74 ha)

Fish Farming

Fish in 10 ponds (1.2 ha)

Vegetables

Vegetables grown under sustainable practices

Beekeeping

Beekeeping for commercial honey production

Sustainable Charcoal Energy Project

Forest destruction in Malawi and in the Shire Valley particularly had reached alarming levels due to firewood collection for household cooking fuel, traditional charcoal production and traditional brick making. It is for this reason that the Phata community decided to embark on production of own charcoal from their own sustainable planted wood-lots and selling of energy efficient charcoal stoves. This is believed to be a first step in arresting deforestation and hopefully one day eliminating it all together. The cooperative has procured 500 energy efficient charcoal stoves. The stoves will be sold to 500 households of surrounding communities as a starter to a revolving process since money collected from the sale of the stoves will be used to buy more stoves in order to reach out to many households as possible.