Gift of the Givers donates farm inputs to farmers

Gift of the Givers Foundation has donated farm inputs to 3 886 farmers from five districts in the Southern Region affected by tropical storms Ana and Gombe as a way of promoting food security.

The farmers are from Blantyre, Neno, Mwanza, Chikwawa and Nsanje who have each received a pack containing two kilogrammes (kg) of maize seeds, one kg of bean or groundnut seeds and 20kg fertiliser.

Speaking on Tuesday in Mwanza, Gift of the Givers country manager Sherifa Mia said the starter pack will help improve crop production.

“It is one of our priorities to alleviate hunger, which is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 2 which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture,” she said.

Mia also said they supported 1 464 farmers in the same districts in May this year with inputs for winter farming.

“We targeted 23 irrigation schemes that were affected by floods. We also rehabilitated five irrigation schemes and trained 524 farmers,” she said.

Chilipa Extension Planning Area development officer Happy Champiti commended the foundation for the donation.

He said: “The farm inputs will improve yields. Farmers in Chilipa usually plant local varieties because they cannot afford the improved varieties.

“Again, the seeds are drought-resistant, making them suited to this area which is prone to dry spells.”

One of the beneficiaries, Lucia Kafandiine, thanked Gift of the Givers for the donation.

She said her name is not on the list of this year’s beneficiaries of the Affordable Inputs Programme.

“I am now ready for the planting season as I have the inputs on time,” said Kafandiine.