Chilanga Acting District Commissioner, Maureen Chilende, has urged women cooperatives to venture into value addition in order to grow their agricultural enterprise projects.
Ms Chilende says the agricultural sector has huge potential to contribute to the economic development of the country through value addition and access to markets.
She said this when she officiated at the Agape Women’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society 25 years Silver Jubilee celebration held in Chilanga today.
Ms Chilende has noted that value addition will enable cooperatives to earn more income, extend shelf life of their products and compete favorably on both local and regional markets.
“I urge the community to support locally produced products. When we buy local merchandise, we support local businesses, create opportunities and contribute to community development,” said Ms Chilende.
She has further encouraged the Women’s Cooperative to practice transparency and accountability and maintain proper records and invest in sustainable income generating activities.
Ms Chilende has observed that good governance within cooperatives is key to attracting partnerships and growing their businesses.
“I therefore encourage Agape Women’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative to continue building partnerships that can strengthen its business operations and expand its impact,” she said.
And Chilanga District Small and Medium Enterprises Development Officer, Eugene Maliwa, has urged cooperatives to generate income from various businesses and run their cooperatives without waiting for government grants.
Mr Maliwa has reaffirmed Government’s commitment to guide and support local cooperatives in growing their businesses.
He has indicated that cooperatives that diversify their income sources and embrace entrepreneurship are more resilient and sustainable in the long term.
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