National Economic Empowerment Fund (Neef) has emphasised the importance of coordination with agriculture extension workers in Nsanje to promote food and income security.
Shire Valley Neef zone manager Jonathan Nkhoma said this on Wednesday in Chikwawa during the orientation of extension workers from Nsanje.
He said: “As Neef, we have micro-agriculture loans for promoting irrigation farming to curb chronic hunger in Nsanje. So we brought the extension workers here to discuss possible coordination to improve food security in the district.
“We have money for promoting irrigation agriculture but extension workers are responsible for identifying farmers and irrigation farms.
farming. | Martin Gela Jnr
We are targeting 2 000 farming households but as of now we have reached out to 30 percent. We are optimistic that by September we will have reached 70 percent of targeted number.”
On her part, Magoti Extension Planning Area (EPA) agriculture extension development officer Grace Kalim’mawa said the major setback for irrigation farming in the EPA is shortage of water.
She said she expected Neef loans to solve the problem.
Nsanje district director of agriculture, environmental and natural resources James Lichapa said Neef came at the right time.
“We have about 40 000 hectares [ha] for irrigation in the district but we are only utilising 4 270ha, which is only 10 percent of the total irrigable land,” he said.
Nsanje district commissioner Dominic Mwandira said out of K2 billion projected for the district, Neef has since disbursed K591 million for agriculture inputs and K391 million for the livestock initiative
