Gloria Rosary Nguhi Phekani
Founder and Managing Director, Milele Agroprocessing Limited
Gloria Phekani, Founder and Managing Director of Milele Agroprocessing Limited, is an off-taker in Malawi that supports small-scale farmers with loan consumer demanded clean seed material for multiplication of grain for the export market. The legumes, mainly common beans and the canning variety, are of high nutritional value, containing high levels of iron and zinc. The farmers are grouped in cooperatives, unions and associations. Having been in the industry of trading legume and pulses for the last 16 years and lately working with contract farmers for the last 4 years in Malawi. She supports about 29,000 farmers of which 85% are women and youth. She has successfully contracted farmers working with other high value crop i.e. birds eye chilli and paprika to ensure diversification and sustainability to both the farmers and the business as whole, empowering the farmers economically.