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The Cotton Farmers Association (COFA) is a farmer organization under the trustees Incorporation Act under the statutes of Malawi. It is an affiliate of the Farmers Union of Malawi with membership open to all cotton growers in Malawi and was formed with the aim of strengthening the capacity of members and affiliates through improving their access to production services, lobbying for efficiencies in marketing, and representing them in all policy fora. The association operates in 15 cotton growing district across Malawi with primary producer associations in all cotton growing districts of the country and particularly seeks to include and encourage the participation of all cotton growers at every level (smallholder or large cotton growers).

According to the association constitution, the National board of COFA is required to seek a new mandate in every third year. Therefore, having elected its board on 15th December, 2015 the association organized to have an elective annual general meeting on 26th June, 2019. AICC together with Cotton Council of Malawi, facilitated the annual general meeting by bringing on board  the 46 delegates from the 15 cotton growing districts of Karonga, Salima, Nkhotakota, Mangochi, Ntcheu, Dedza, Machinga, Zomba, Neno, Mwanza, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe and Balaka (3 representatives from each). These were the only eligible delegates that participated and voted in the elections. 

The following names emerged as the successfully elected new COFA board by:

Position	Name	District of Origin
President	Mr Dickson Gundani	Nsanje
Vice President	Mrs. Sarah Nkhonjera	Karonga
Secretary	Mr Dymeck Funsani	Balaka
Vice Secretary	Mrs Dorothy Jeke	Neno
Treasurer	Mrs Funny Chapotoka	Chikwawa
Committee Members	1.       Posha Nnesa 2.       Lapson Zidana 3.       Meliseni Goodson 4.       Cecilia Majawa 5.       Mr. Ellina Kankhomba	1.       Salima 2.       Mangochi, 3.       Ntcheu 4.       Zomba 5.       Nkhotakota

 

The new COFA president, Mr Dickson Gundani Giving his acceptance speech

In welcoming the new mandate, the newly elected board vowed to continue with the good work the out-going board had left and urged all partners to actively joint hands in executing objectives of the organization to develop cotton farmers in the country.

According to AICC, the election of the new COFA board breathes new life to a rather failing sector which continues to face a lot of  challenges including low production levels as contributed to un-organized farmers. The new COFA board therefore shall organize farmers into entities that shall enable all cotton farmers access effective inputs and productive output markets.