Cisanet wary of few extension  staff

Civil Society Agriculture Network (Cisanet) has expressed concern over the lower number of staff under the Agriculture Extension District Office in Chikwawa, saying this impacts on the output of farmers’ performance.

Cisanet programmes officer Tamiwe Kayuni was speaking at a district executive committee (DEC) meeting in Chikwawa on Friday.

“We are implementing a programme called ‘strengthening pluralist and demand driven agriculture extension’ through development and promotion of the District Agriculture Service Charter.

“The project is to be implemented in six districts; Nkhata-Bay, Ntcheu, Chikwawa, Mulanje among others. Our baseline study in Chikwawa showed farm families were over 107 021, with a ratio of one extension worker against 2 378 farmers, which normally becomes tough and hectic to operate,” she said.

The meeting called for concerted efforts from government through the Ministry of Agriculture as well as district offices to train grassroots individuals who can live, work and remain in their areas so that farmers access good help as and when they need it. —Mana