Chiradzulu District Council says it will intensify efforts to encourage people to embrace irrigation farming to improve food security in the district.
The council’s irrigation engineer Julia Nyembezi Qoto said this on Friday during a media tour to appreciate the progress of irrigation farming at Chilusa and Natama irrigation schemes.
She said: “We are promoting irrigation farming using different technologies such as gravity-fed, motorised pumps and watering cans.
“So far, irrigation farming covers 695 hectares (ha) out of 4 500 irrigable land. There are 164 irrigation sites with different infrastructure.”
Qoto said in the wake of climate change shocks such as prolonged dry spells and floods, the only way to cover the district’s food deficit is through irrigation farming.
“Irrigation farming contributes about three percent of food in the district,” she said.
The council’s agriculture service committee chairperson Franco Kaliya said the council was ready to fund minor maintenance works to schemes that suffered damage during Cyclone Freddy in 2023.
“As elected leaders, we also encourage people to embrace irrigation farming to beat hunger,” he said.
Chilusa Irrigation Scheme lead farmer Soft Nyaude said there are 73 farmers from Traditional Authority (T/A) Kadewere who utilise the facility’s 44ha.
“These farmers grow crops such as maize, tomatoes, onionsand pepper,” he said.
Natama Irrigation Scheme vice-chairperson Charles Mpunga said the scheme has 25ha but its 71 farmers are utilising 20ha.
“Irrigation farming has improved food security in the area,” he said.
Duncan Mkandawire, a farmer at Natama Irrigation Scheme in T/A Ntchema, said he grew maize which he was expecting to harvest at least 50 bags.
“Irrigation farming has helped me accumulate assets such as livestock and pay fees for my children,” he said.
