Chakwera backs irrigation farming

President Lazarus Chakwera says Malawi needs to desist from dependence on rain-fed agriculture and instead embrace irrigation farming to boost productivity and enable farmers realise decent earnings.

The President said this on Monday during a rally he addressed at Luchenza Primary School in Thyolo East Constituency after a crop inspection tour in the district.

Chakwera inspected crops at M’mambo Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Nchiramwera and Tholora Village in Paramount Chief Ngolingoliwa’s area.

He told the gathering at Luchenza in T/A Nanseta’s area that farming remained one of the pillars of development in the country which can help Malawi to achieve economic development.

Chakwera said: “Agriculture needs to benefit people not only as a source of food, but should earn farmers a decent living.

“We would like to take advantage of irrigation farming and not only rely on rain-fed agriculture in order to boost production.”

The President hinted that it is only when people of the country are able to earn a decent living that they can contribute to the tax base used to fund government expenditure through the annual budget.

In their remarks, Thyolo East legislator Masauko White (Democratic Progressive Party) and T/A Nanseta faulted the manner in which the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) was run, saying a lot of people did not benefit from it.

Nanseta said: “I should not hide words or else people here will blame me for not relaying the truth. Many farmers did not get the fertiliser.

“While others may have received at least one type out of the required two, the weather was not kind to us this season which is something we have never experienced before as a district.”

On his part, Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe acknowledged the problems that AIP faced this year, but encouraged those who got the inputs to make good use of them.

“But other areas still need help. The ministry will distribute cassava plants and other crops that do not need a lot of water and seeds that mature early to help avert the situation,” he said.

Today, the President will inspect crops in Zomba District.