Kilombero rice now available in UK from Malawi
A new partnership between Just Trading Scotland (JTS) the social enterprise working with Malawi’s smallholder farmers and Cotswold Fayre, a leading fine food distribution company will see Kilombero rice become available to thousands of fine food shop retailers across the United Kingdom.
The partnership announcement was made at the London fine food trade show hosted by Cotswold Fayre, where hundreds of food buyers got to see the new Kilombero rice brand for the first time, with many new retailers showing their support by placing orders for Malawi’s smallholder grown premium rice brand.
Malawi High Commissioner to the UK, Kena Mphonda witnessed the announcement in London of the new partnership to bring Malawi’s own Kilombero Rice to London and the entire UK market.
The High Commissioner said Malawi Government appreciates JTS efforts to promote Malawi products that empower the rural communities.
“The quality of branding of this world rare and tasty rice and launching it to the prime London markets through Cotswold Fayre at this particular time when Malawi is looking to diversify and increase its exports, compliments our overall development agenda,” said Mphonda.
He said Malawi mission in London is looking forward to “increased partnership in introducing more Malawian products through JTS, to the UK market.”
In his remarks, Just Trading Scotland’s Malcolm Shannon said bringing Kilombero rice to London was the next step for JTS to introduce Malawi’s wonderful Kilombero rice to more customers in the UK.
“We are pleased to be working with Cotswold Fayre which will see Kilombero rice on shelves next to the very best in fine food.
“We are very pleased that our work, based on fair trade and partnership principles, with our friends in Malawi has led to such a good product and we are confident the future is looking much brighter for Malawian smallholder farmers when British customers discover how great Malawian produce can be,” Shannon said.
According to a statement made available to Nyasa Times, JTS, working with world renowned design firm Graven Images will rebrand and re-launch Kilombero rice in new superior quality packages to improve its market appeal in the UK.
While it is great to hear such developments being a Malawian, I do feel that it is very important that local farmers and prouducer groups are not exploited as a result of margins and profits. There has to be regulations put in place to prevent and not paying lip service to WFTO conditions.
I am appalled that Value Added is NOT happening in Malawi. Scotland declared itself a Fair Trade Nation and clearly DOES NOT understand the 10 WFTO principles that underpin what fair trade stands for – a change in international trade rules! Just Trading has received financial support via grants and is now working with commercial companies to promote the rice in the UK – Business As Usual with a Feel Good label attached! Being a WFTO member and getting the new Guarantee System Mark or becoming a Fairtrade Licensee would ensure there are 3rd party audits. It seems that Trade… Read more »
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This rice should not be exported in bulk into the UK. Let these companies come and setup industries in Malawi which will create jobs for our people. Our people will do the farming; produce the packaging here; package the rice; and export it. There are a lot of downstream jobs that will be generated. Late Bingu has been talking of value-addition and this is exactly what is happening BUT it has to be done here at home osati ku UK. The problem is if these guys import in bulk they tend to squeeze Malawians on the prices and thus we… Read more »
Why is rice being imported to the UK news? Do we not have more note worthy aspirations?
Hundreds, if not thousands of goods and services are imported from the UK into Malawi and Africa as a whole and they, the European make their money. Yet here we are jubilant over the export of rice. I suppose when a people are so stupid and regressive they would perceive this to be a milestone.
Chuka is allowing exporters to keep 100% of there proceed so it is of no benift to malawians, what is the point of exporting when exporters hoard the dollars and force the kwacha to devalue, we were better off during bingu economics of 2004-09.
sweet! at last, some progressive news about this scrap heap of a country. now if only we could market the lake as a premium tourist destination, we could take the market from mauritus, zanzibar and kenya…oh wait, i forgot that there will oil rigs on the lake soon……
Good news, tired of basmati rice. Bweretsani tidye dzakukaya apa.
Why is malawi full of dull things. The packaging is so unattractive for food??!!? How do you expect this to compete with rice from Taj Mahar. Please marketing guys wake up. Dont design for people “wakuthengere” and believe that the love these guys have for vyakukaya will the same love that strangers will have for your product. PLEASE DONT BE THAT NAIVE in your marketing guys. Wake up!!!!
Its like the guy in the picture was the designer and not a marketing person. Am sure if tasked this guy would even do better
Why is malawi full of dull things. The packaging is so unattractive for food??!!? How do you expect this to compete with rice from Taj Mahar. Please marketing guys wake up. Dont design for people “wakuthengere” and believe that the love these guys have for vyakukaya will the same love that strangers will have for your product. PLEASE DONT BE THAT NAIVE in your marketing guys.