Mwasip project improves food security in Balaka

People in Balaka District have commended the Malawi Watershed Services Improved Programme (Mwasip) for helping them reclaim degraded landscapes.

In an interview on Monday, the communities said they are implementing activities that restore land, resulting in improvement in crop productivity.

Mtendela Village Action Plan chairperson Sani Soft said they constructed swales and stone bunds to slow down the flow of water in people’s crop fields.

He said they also worked in areas where run-off created gullies. He added that the interventions addressed soil erosion and improved soil fertility.

“As a result, our crops performed well because of fertile soils that were also able to keep moisture,” said Soft.

Besides practising climate-smart agriculture, the project also empowered communities with grants to scale up their businesses to become self-sufficient.

Nankhombe Cooperative chairperson Salimu Makiyi said they are expecting to receive K138 million, which they will invest in pig farming.

“We have secured land for farming and our livelihood is expected to improve, courtesy of the programme,” he said.

Balaka district assistant forest officer Alick Sonkheza lamented the increased deforestation, saying it is one of the factors contributing to the dry spells in the district.

He said: “People are cutting down trees in our hills for lime production, as you know the district is blessed with limestone.

“However, with the programme, they have been empowered to venture into beekeeping and understand the importance of taking care of trees.”

Balaka district Mwasip coordinator Locrecia Matekenya said the programme, which targets at least 5 000 farmers in the district, aims to empower communities with modern skills to conserve the environment while improving their livelihoods.