Created in 2001, the Mchinji Area Smallholder Farmers Association (MASFA) sets out to improve market conditions for peanut farmers in Mchinji District. The association provides training in crop production and business skills as well as warehouses where its 2275 members can store their harvest until transport. MASFA guarantees to buy its members’ peanut production at the fairtrade minimum price or the market price if higher. Members of the association can thus get prices per kilo up to eight times higher than usual for their harvest.

MASFA is active in a region, where tobacco had previously been the main cash crop. When the tobacco prices collapsed in 2010, peanut became the main cash crop in the area.