Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has embarked on a project to support 5000 farming households in Nsanje and Chikwawa to grow maize under irrigation.
Speaking on Monday in Nsanje during a stakeholders meeting, FAO head of emergency and resilience Daniele Barelli said they are targeting about 2 425 farming households in Nsanje.
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“Out of the targeted beneficiaries, 1 945 will receive money through social cash transfer in two phases. They will receive K210 000 each in May to buy farm inputs for irrigation farming and another K210 000 in September for buying farm inputs in readiness for rain-fed agriculture.
“We are targeting women, people with disabilities and the youth. Those to benefit from our intervention should be those who have land and access to water for irrigation.”
Nsanje district chief agriculture officer James Lichapa said they will train farmers in modern farming practices and environmental conservation initiatives.
He said the intervention will address food insecurity in the district.
“We are planning to install solar powered water systems in extension planning areas [EPAs] to promote irrigation farming,” said Lichapa.
On his part, Lalanje Ward councillor Abdul Ackim Hassan (Malawi Congress Party) in Nsanje Lalanje Constituency asked the stakeholders to rehabilitate schemes that were destroyed by floods before giving farmers the money for the initiative.
“I also advise farmers to prudently use the resources because FAO will ask beneficiaries to account for the funds,” he said.
One of the farmers in Nyachilenda EPA, Yakobo Malunga welcomed the initiative.
He said the only way to realise food security is through irrigation farming.
FAO will implement the intervention which seeks to reduce hunger from May to December in Nsanje and Chikwawa districts.
