Farmers in Traditional Authority Wasambo in Karonga District have embraced initiatives to protect forest reserves from deforestation.
Speaking on Tuesday in Uliwa during a Business to Business Mini-Agriculture Fair aimed at bringing together farmers, consumers and off-takers, group village head Njalayankhunda said farmers are producing briquettes and ventured into beekeeping.
He said: “We are pleased that we have institutions that provide technical support to the community to preserve forests.
“Briquettes will replace the use of firewood and charcoal while keeping bees in forests will scare poachers.”
Karonga Agriculture Development Division agri-business officer Mandela Kumwenda said the event provided a platform to farmers to lobby potential clients for their products.
He said: “This event teaches the community modern ways of conserving the environment.
“At the same time, it gives farmers an opportunity to showcase their products to potential off-takers on what they can offer on the market.”
Tisinthe Youth Club member Austin Nyirenda, whose club mounted a briquettes pavilion, said they are promoting alternative sources of energy to communities.
“We use locally available resources such as rice husks
and papers to make briquettes. So, the process means that we are preserving trees while we are also cleaning the surrounding,” he said.
A representative of Homes Industries, Esther Ghambi, commended the organisers for the event and urged farmers to produce high quality products.
“Again, farmers should work with off-takers who can link them up with financial lending institutions,” she said.
Catholic Development Commission in Malawi field officer Chikonzero Chimwaza, whose organisation supported the fair, said they wanted to bring buyers of honey and briquettes to appreciate what farmers in Karonga produce.
With funding from Scottish Government through DAI Global UK, Cadecom is implementing Climate Just Communities project in the district.
