Malawi to hosts farmer-to-farmer exchange programme
The Civil Society Agriculture Network (Cisanet), in collaboration with Action Aid, hosted a two-day Eastern and Southern Africa Food Security Network (ASA-FSN) regional farmer-to-farmer exchange programme, which brought together farmers from Ethiopia, Uganda and Malawi.
The meeting, which started on Monday in Lilongwe, brought selected smallholder farmers involved in sustainable agricultural practices, natural network members, policymakers and those involved in the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices in the three countries.
In an interview on the sidelines of the meeting, Cisanet executive director Tamani Nkhono-Mvula said the regional meet will help to promote better farming practices by providing an opportunity for farmers to see and discuss the best technologies with each other.
“This will, therefore, encourage the farmers to play a prominent role in discussing and explaining the particular technologies in question,” he said.
Mvula said the programme was intended to promote information sharing and experiences on sustainable land resilience agriculture.
He said the meeting came at a time the Malawi Government is in the process of formulating an agriculture policy, and hoped that some of the issues discussed and recommended would be considered in policy development.
“This programme will, therefore, increase solidarity, strategising and action plans on common regional challenges, needs and solutions on food nutritional security among and between regions,” added Nkhono-Mvula.
The programme was expected to scale-up the adoption of the climate smart agriculture practices.
Delegates visited some demonstration farms in Ntcheu and Lilongwe to learn sustainable agricultural practices.
