Farmers laud climate-smart agriculture technologies

Farmers in Lilongwe district have commended Climate-Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme for equipping them with climate-smart agricultural technologies to improve their crop productivity.

Speaking on Tuesday during a media tour of Linthipe Catchment Area in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chitekwere in the district, one of the farmers, Damiano Chauwa, said many people are now able to conduct their agricultural activities on the land whose fertility was restored through the programme’s activities.

“We are pleased now that we are able to use the farms that were abandoned many years ago because runoff water eroded the top fertile soil,” he said.

Chauwa said the technologies have proved effective and they are optimistic to get bumper yields this year.

Lex Kapaza, another participant from Kavunde Catchment in T/A M’bang’ombe, said the new farming technologies will transform people’s livelihood.

He said: “The programme has come at a time we had lost hope of using the degraded land for cultivation. We will not stop implementing the activities.

“We also ventured into livestock farming.”

Lilongwe district desk officer Setrida Mlamba said it was interesting to see that communities in the district have embraced the programme.

The programme is a component of Social Support for Resilience Livelihood Project being facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee with financial support from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund, including the World Bank