Agriculture Ministry plans to increase Farmer Field Schools to 180

In addition to the over 660 Farmer Field Schools which Malawi currently has, the Ministry of Agriculture has plans to add the schools to 180.

Deputy Director Department of Agriculture Extension Services Kenneth Chaula disclosed this during training for extension staff aimed at strengthening their capacity in the establishment and running of Farmer Field Schools.

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The initiative is one of the many approaches being used by the Ministry to help farmers adopt new and existing agricultural technologies and is a seasonal long extension methodology where the teacher is the enterprise being pursued for crops and livestock production.

Among others, the training aims to ensuring that in the end farmers are able to establish the much needed farmer fields and offer them an opportunity to test and validate the recommended and released technologies based on their localities and needs.

This is being practised in the districts where the Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme (SAPP) II is being implemented in Dowa, Mzimba, Lilongwe and Balaka.

Chaula reiterated government’s commitment to improving productivity of all enterprises in its bid to increase food security and economic prosperity as stipulated in the MW2063 with pillar number one which focuses on agricultural productivity and commercialization.

He is upbeat that with the transfer of knowledge from the extension workers, more smallholder farmers will adopt and implement new technologies being promoted which will increase yields and their incomes.

“In terms of the existing Farmer Field Schools in Malawi, we have more than 660 farmer field schools in the country but in the implementing districts of Lilongwe, Balaka, Mzimba and Dowa.

“The number is not as high; that is why we’d want to add more and with this intervention, we’re going to add 180 farmer field schools in the final analysis and these schools when established, they will run for a period of maybe 7 years. During this period, they will be looking at different enterprises of their choice based on the priorities in their locality.”

He further noted that one of the critical factors to achieving productivity and commercialization is a well-trained human capital that has abilities to implement the technologies being promoted.

“So this particular training is coming in to address the training gaps that we have for our front-liners as you know our frontline staff are the most critical staff within the Ministry because they interface with the farmers on the ground; they interpret policy at that level. So for them to implement well, we need them well-trained that is why we are so grateful to Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme which is being funded by IFAD and being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture for such an intervention where we are going to make a difference”

The Deputy Director challenged them to deliver quality extension services and give farmers the opportunity to test and validate the practices which have potential to transform the agriculture sector.

Targeting 80,000 small holder farming households, the US$53.3 million International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded programme aims to contribute towards wealth creation and improve food and nutrition security among the rural population of Malawi.