Grow drought resistant crops, NGO advises farmers
Project Concern International (PCI) says farmers in Balaka and Machinga districts can achieve food security if they grow drought-resistant crops such as sorghum.
PCI chief of party Michael Ghebrab said this in Balaka where the organisation, in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Peacock Seed and Demeter Seed companies, held agricultural field days in the districts last week under the organisation’s Njira Project.
The field days were aimed at improving adoption of various crops among smallholder farmers in the districts to improve productivity and resilience in the face of climate change.
During the field days, lead farmers showcased the performance of different varieties of crops such as maize, sweet potatoes and sorghum.
Sorghum has proved to be one of the crops that withstands erratic rains, prolonged dry spells and fall armyworms which the two districts have been experiencing.
“We urge farmers to invest in drought-resistant crops that will in turn reward them regardless of the climate change,” he said.
One of the sorghum farmers, Linesi Gawanyumbu from Ng’onga Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nsamala in Balaka, described the crop as significant in food and financial security.
“The crop has responded well in my field, giving me hope of household food security this year,” she said.
Machinga Agricultural Development Division programme manager Isaac Chipeta called on the farmers to practise mixed cropping to increase crop output.
“We encourage those farmers in commercial farming to do market research before planting any crop to know which crops are needed on the market,” he said.
The project is being implemented in the two districts with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USaid). n
