Stakeholders in the agriculture sector believe coordinating efforts to scale irrigation projects beyond donor-funded projects will be key to transforming agriculture’s role in the economy.
The remarks follow the handover of the Nyenyezi Irrigation Scheme in Mangochi. The scheme was built under the $4 million (about K4.6 billion) Titukulane Project funded by the United States and implemented by Care Malawi.
The seven-hectare solar-powered scheme supports 67 farmers across six villages. Using water from the perennial Nyenyezi River, the scheme is enabling farmers to grow maize and beans year-round, securing food supplies and opening opportunities for commercial sales.
the event. | Care Malawi
In an interview, Care Malawi country director Pamela Kuwali said the systems are already transforming the lives of about 5 000 families spread out across the 400-hectare stretch between Mangochi and Zomba.
“Farmers now have three harvests a year, cultivating a rich variety of crops like beans, maize, bananas and tomatoes, all thanks to climate-smart technologies like solar-powered pumps and community-led innovation,” she said. “And let me tell you what, the impact is real.”
Speaking at the handover ceremony last week, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale echoed the sentiment, noting that investment in irrigation will be key to enhancing local farmers’ resilience to climate and weather-related shocks.
He, however, noted that some key challenges remain, including limited access to reliable water sources, high costs of irrigation development, and environmental degradation, as well as market and economic barriers.
Said Kawale: “It is pleasing, however, to note that Care Malawi has further addressed most of these challenges, including the issue of environmental degradation by investing in catchment conservation.”
The project emphasised catchment treatment interventions such as digging of deep trenches, swales and eyeblows through cash-for-work programmes within communities. These interventions were aimed at reducing runoff and ensuring water retention in the irrigation schemes.
The Minister further said his ministry, has partnered with the National Economic Empowerment Fund (Neef) through a memorandum to ensure that farmers have access to inputs on a loan basis.
Officials from the Neef were not readily available for comment on the criteria to identify targets and how their financing would complement local efforts to scale irrigation initiatives like the Titukulane Project.
In an earlier interview, agriculture policy expert Tamani Nkhono-Mvula noted that irrigation would be essential to operationalise the Malawi 2063, which list agriculture commercialisation and productivity as a key component of Malawi’s development.
Over the past four years, Malawi has experienced major cyclones, including cyclones Freddy and Gombe, among others.
The government said in its 2023 Tropical Cyclone Freddy Post-Disaster Needs Assessment report that the country lost at least $506.7 million in the disaster.
