Smallholder farmers in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwalweni in Rumphi District have expressed satisfaction with group farming which has empowered them economically.
They said this on Saturday during a media tour the Norwegian Church Aid and DanChurchAid organised under the Sustainable Food Systems for Rural Agriculture Transformation and Resilience (Transform) programme running in the district.
Lead farmer Margaret Msuku, who works under Kesha Club, said farming as a group has transformed their lives and eases access to markets.
She said: “Our club comprises 15 members and we are into tomato farming using micro-drip irrigation which we learned under the project. This has enabled us to harvest plenty and find markets easily.
“In October, our club sold tomatoes to different schools and companies generating about K400 000. We still have tomatoes which we are yet to sell. This is better than individual farming.”
Another club member, Memory Gondwe, a mother of three, said farming as a group has changed her life as she can now support her family.
On his part, Ntchenachena Extension Planning Area agriculture extension development coordinator
Precious Chipeta commended the Transform programme, saying it is helping people to build resilience to hunger and poverty.
“We are working with the programme by, among others, helping to impart skills to farmers on new farming methods to sustain productivity,” he said.
Catholic Development Commission in Malawi agronomist Thokozani Mpomba, whose organisation is implementing the project through Mzuzu Diocese, said farming as a group improves access to agricultural inputs and markets.
With funds from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Transform programme, which started in 2020, is running in Rumphi, Mzimba, Kasungu, Dowa and Mchinji districts.
