Body pleased with agriculture initiative

International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad) has commended Sustainable Agricultural Productivity Project (Sapp) for the impact it has made in women economic empowerment.

Sapp project officer Kenneth Chaula, briefing the media on a tour of Nkhotakota District where they are implementing a Household Approach to Gender Mainstreaming programme, said Ifad honours those who do well.

“They are satisfied with the impact Sapp is making in women economic empowerment,” he said.

In Nkhotakota, Sapp has trained women groups in fruit tree farming.

The women manage nurseries of fruit trees such as pawpaw, lemons and guavas and trees such as nsangu and molinga.

A farmer, Monica Banda, said they have raised nearly 5 000 trees and fruits which they will sell to fellow farmers.

“We can identify female and male pawpaw seeds. We extract the seeds and put them in a plate of water.

“Some seeds float; others go to the bottom. Those that sink are female and those that float are male,” she said.

Sapp is also implementing the project in Balaka, Lilongwe, Chitipa and Chiradzulu districts.

Ifad financially supports the six-year initiative seeking to increase women’s participation in farming business. The project phases out in 2021, but Ifad pledged to continue supporting it beyond the expiry date