Cooperative Development Foundation Canada (CDF Canada) has urged fish farmers in Dowa District to diversify their activities to generate more income and improve food security.
The organisation’s integrated agriculture and aquaculture specialist Tionge Nyirenda said this on Tuesday during a media tour to some of the organisation’s demonstration plots in the district.
in Dowa. | Kondwani Kandiado
“As you know fish farmers in the past were relying on fish only for their income. But we encourage them to diversify their activities such as rearing goats and growing fruits to improve their income sources and household nutrition,” she said.
Nyirenda said she was impressed that farmers were able to appreciate fish of different sizes during the harvest.
Dowa district fisheries officer Manson Msukwa said the initiative will help boost farmers’ productivity.
He said the project will help the country achieve its long-term development plan, Malawi 2063 pillar number one on agriculture productivity and commercialisation.
Machenthe Cooperative Society chairperson Godfrey Phiri said the project will help farmers to get capital for their integrated fish ponds.
“With the capital available, we will be able to buy fish feed which is generally expensive. This will help sustain our farming,” he said.
The organisation is implementing a five-year integrating Aquaculture-Agriculture to Combat Food Insecurity in Malawi project in collaboration with Community Agribusiness Partners which, among others, seeks to build resilience among farmers.
With funding from Norway, the Project is being implemented in Chitipa, Rumphi, Mzimba, Nkhotakota, Ntchisi, Dowa, Zomba and Thyolo districts.
