225 farming household in Traditional Authority (TA) Nkhulambe in Phalombe are expected to be food secure following the harvest of 150 tonnes of maize after receiving maize seed and fertiliser as part of Tropical Cyclone Freddy recovery plan.

Phalombe District Irrigation Officer, Davie Chikhadwe, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Wednesday that Ministry of Agriculture, with support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, assisted the farming households with maize seed and fertiliser following Tropical Cyclone Freddy that had hit the district.

“We distributed farm inputs to farmers who planted on 30 hectares of land in October 2023. They followed all instructions on planting, taking care of the crop including applying fertiliser. They were also told not to sell green maize and the outcome is impressive,” Chikhadwe explained.

Phalombe benefited 750 kilogrammes of maize seed, 3750 kilogrammes of NPK and 3750 kilogrammes of UREA fertilisers which were distributed to irrigation farmers from Chakalamba, Likhatcha and Mleka irrigation schemes.

Secretary for Likatcha Irrigation Scheme, Omex Malenga, said most farmers, who lost farm produce during the Cyclone Freddy induced rains, benefited from the farm inputs.

He said after some months the farmers went back to their fields following support from government and well-wishers to start irrigation.

Farmers at Nkhulambe in Phalombe packing their maize harvest in bags. Pic Linda Likomwa Mana — Farmers at Nkhulambe in Phalombe packing their maize harvest in bags. Pic, Linda Likomwa (Mana)

Another beneficiary from Likatcha Irrigation Scheme, Macneil Banda, thanked government for the inputs.

Banda advised fellow farmers to start practicing irrigation farming saying it is ideal amidst dry spells.

Chakalamba Irrigation Scheme beneficiary, Prisca Tembulo, said she rented a plot within the scheme after hers got washed away due to Cyclone Freddy.

“Our field was covered with sand and we could not cultivate on it. I am now food secure because I am expecting to harvest four bags of maize of 50 kilogrammes each. In March I am going to plant again to ensure my family is food secure,” she said.

Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, received a donation of 100 metric tonnes of fertiliser and 10 tonnes hybrid maize seed as a donation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The farm inputs were distributed to 4000 irrigation farmers in Tropical Cyclone Freddy affected districts covering a total of 400 hectares of land to ensure production of a minimum of 2000 tonnes of grain.