Dedza District Council on Friday launched the 2023 integrated catchment conservation and management campaign that aims at promoting food security through soil conservation and environmental management.
The event took place at Bango Ground in the area of Senior Chief Kachere under the theme: “Integrated Catchment Conservation and Management for Enhanced Climate Resilience, Improved Livelihoods, Food and Nutrition Security”.
Presiding over the function, Dedza District Council Chairperson, Francis Chimpikizo encouraged farmers to adopt modern farming methods and techniques to counter adverse effects of climate change which has led to food insecurity in the district.
“Dedza is one of the districts that has been affected by climate change due to deforestation and because of this, the agricultural sector is facing a lot of challenges like low crop production,” he said.
“This is why we need to conserve our environment so that we can have enough food to feed our households at the same time be economically empowered from selling excess of the produce,” he added.
He urged faith and traditional leaders, politicians and the youths to take part in the campaign by following advice of agricultural extension workers, saying this will promote food security and economic growth among farming households in the district.
“The theme of this year’s launch reminds each and every one of us to take part in restoring and protecting the environment which is the main source of food and income for most of the people in the district,” he said.
On her part, Dedza District Council Acting Chief Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Matilda Mtambo said through the campaign they are promoting afforestation, crop diversity, manure making, soil and water conservation, irrigation and livestock production.
“We are calling all the farmers and stakeholders to implement effective and sustainable land management interventions to prevent land degradation so that farmers should be able to realise more harvests to feed their families,” said Mtambo.
One of the farmers, Patrick Kamchacha, from Group Village Head Bango, said through Swale construction they have been able to prevent flooding and retain water in the soil for better yield.
“Most of our fertile land was being washed away by floods, so our extension workers taught us how we can protect the soil and harvest water. Now we are using the excess water for irrigation and to keep the soil moist using swales,” he said.
