Irrigation chaos angers President Chakwera
President Lazarus Chakwera has expressed anger over failure to use completed irrigation works where billions of kwacha have been spent, but also some engineers who refuse or resist surrendering public projects such as irrigation schemes.
Speaking during the commissioning of Linga Irrigation Scheme at Kande in Nkhata Bay, Chakwera said the two acts were going against government’s wish to ensure food security and wealth-creation, telling controlling officers in respective ministries to make things move or face the chop.
He cited the 700 hectares (ha) Lweya scheme in Nkhata Bay; the 800 ha Nkopola scheme in Mangochi completed in 2019 and Utale Irrigation scheme completed last year with a modern solar irrigation system, but are not being used for commercial farming.
Fumed Chakwera: “The developers of these schemes who are resisting relinquishing these public assets to the departments in the Ministry of Agriculture that specialise in food and crop production may think that their resistance has gone unnoticed, but today I am putting them on notice.”
He added: “I want the Minister of Agriculture to see to it that all the irrigation schemes we have completed are deployed for maximum use this year, and I expect a report at the end of this year that details how these assets are being utilised for production of crops for national food security and commercialisation.”
Sounding angry, Chakwera said he expects controlling officers in government to take action to either get those resistors in line or to take their resistance elsewhere.
African Development Bank (AfDB) country manager Macmillan Anyanwu, whose institution co-funded the project, said agriculture production has been dwindling over time, and agriculture commercialisation was ideal to redeem the lost glory.
He said: “Linga Dam is the largest in the country and must be used if the country is to get back where agriculture was contributing a lot to the socio-economic development of the country.”
Transport and Public Infrastructure Minister Jacob Hara said government has already found markets for the produce from the scheme, urging people in the area to ensure that they maximise its potential.
On his part, the legislator for the area [Nkhata Bay South] Ken Zikhale-Ng’oma, who is also Minister of Homeland Security, said the area has now become an irrigation epicentre.
Senior Chief Fukamapiri said the scheme will help spur development in the area through creating jobs, ensuring food security and, also, that it was a strong message of government’s dedication on the green built initiative.
The Linga Dam, as part of the scheme has been constructed to the tune of $21 million (about K23.6 billion) and has a storage capacity of 14.7 million cubic metres (14.7 billion litres) of water. It is part of the Agriculture Infrastructure and Youth in Agribusiness Project (Aiyap).
The project’s other financiers are the European Investment Bank and the Malawi Government. Its water is expected to irrigate 1 000 hectares
