Mwanza District Council says it is committed to teach all farmers new farming technologies through various agricultural interventions for the households in the district to achieve food security.
This was said by the district’s council chairperson Councillor Emmanuel Kapawe who was guest of honour at this year’s integrated catchment management conservation launch at Mkantho Primary School in the area of Group Village Head (GVH) Kasuza, Traditional Authority Nthache in the district on Friday.
“If the community members have adequate food throughout the year they will remain healthy to contribute effectively towards development activities in their areas,” said Kapawe.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency, Acting Director of Agriculture Environment and Natural Resources in the district Idruce Kanyenda said despite the shortage of extension workers, high cost of agriculture inputs, and natural disasters, farmers in the district are encouraged to use locally available resources to mitigate hunger in the district.
“We encourage them to practice irrigation farming, use of manure as well as soil and water conservation so that they can harvest enough food,” said Kanyenda.
In an interview, Stella Banda of Kasuza Village in the area said through irrigation farming at her half-acre-sized garden, she has managed to build a house with iron sheets and bought two goats which are multiplying.
“Every year I harvest twice and sell the surplus to support my family,” said Banda.
In her remarks, GVH Kasuza commended the district council for conducting the event in her area which she said is a motivation to the farmers in her area.
“We ask the government to open more maize selling points here where we can buy some agriculture inputs and sell our farm produce instead of going to Mwanza Boma Market which is too far from here,” said Kasuza.
Mwanza district has nearly 32000 farmers against 22 extension workers.
Manure making, construction of swales, cooking demonstrations, tree nursery, irrigation, fish farming, and herbs are some of the interventions demonstrated by the farmers during this year’s function under the theme: ‘Integrated Catchment Management for Improved Household Livelihood Security.’
