USAID’s Growth Poles Project is working with responsible private sector companies like Gala Macs to accelerate sustainable, resilient, and inclusive wealth generation for more than 500,000 Malawians including women – such as these ones on the macadamia sorting line. Photo Credit: Oris Chimenya/USAID

New Feed the Future Growth Poles Project Partners Private Sector with Malawian Macadamia Farmers

Malawian farmers are poised to diversify their products and increase their incomes through macadamias thanks to USAID Malawi’s Feed the Future Growth Poles Project. On February 27, USAID and the Embassy of Ireland in Malawi jointly launched a partnership with Gala Macs, a subsidiary of Gala Agriculture Co. Ltd., which will catalyze opportunities for Malawian farmers.

USAID Acting Mission Director Jill Jupiter Jones hands over macadamia seedlings to members of the community around Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) to grow in their demonstration fields. As part of this partnership with academic institutions, LUANAR will for the first time incorporate macadamia production in their curriculum - providing sustainable macadamia expertise to Malawians. Photo Credit: Oris Chimenya/USAID
USAID Acting Mission Director Jill Jupiter Jones delivers remarks during the launch of the partnership launch. Through the USAID Feed the Future Malawi Growth Poles Project, we have invested $40 million (over MK67 billion) while the Embassy of Ireland has invested EUR 9 million (over MK16 billion). Photo Credit: Oris Chimenya/USAID

This partnership is part of USAID Malawi’s Feed the Future Growth Poles Project, which works with responsible private sector companies like Gala Macs to accelerate sustainable, resilient, and inclusive wealth generation for more than 500,000 Malawians. Through the partnership, the Feed the Future Growth Poles Project—which USAID has invested $40 million and the Embassy of Ireland has contributed €9 million (approximately $9.8 million)—will provide farmers with macadamia seedlings cultivated specifically for Malawian conditions. USAID Acting Deputy Mission Director, Dr. Jill Jupiter-Jones, participated in a ceremonial handover of seedlings to smallholder farmers. USAID will support smallholder farmers who would not have been able to afford the cost of entry in the lucrative market with macadamia seedlings.

Gala Macs, an emerging leader in macadamia production, will provide a market to small holder farmers production, and will also offer agronomic training and extension services. Additionally, with support from USAID, Gala Macs will continue to expand their bee and honey project which will ultimately encompass a potential 8,000 hives led by women members of the surrounding communities under Gala Mac’s supervision and off take arrangements.

USAID Acting Deputy Mission Director Jill Jupiter Jones interacts with Gala Macs Operations Manager Zain Ibrahim during a factory visit at the launch event for the partnership. The factory visit allowed the senior USAID official and other technical staff to appreciate the macadamia processing plant and interact with Malawians, including women, who are working in the factory. Photo Credit: Oris Chimenya/USAID
Macadamia nuts are kept on this receiving bay ready to be sorted and then processed at the Gala Macs factory in Lilongwe, Malawi. Gala is set to become one of the largest functioning macadamia operatives, not only in Malawi but in Sub–Saharan Africa. Photo Credit: Oris Chimenya/USAID