Farmers and community leaders in Tukombo in Nkhata Bay District have expressed excitement with the construction of an office for Tukombo Extension Planning Area under the Regional Climate Resilience Programme (RCRP-2).
Traditional Authority Zilakoma, speaking during a community meeting and media dialogue organised by the National Local Government Finance Committee on Monday, commended the World Bank-funded RCRP-2 for the facility, saying it created an important platform for delivering agricultural services to local communities.
“The office has helped to bring agricultural services closer to our people. We appreciate this because farmers can access important agricultural information within their area,” he said.
The chief also said the office structure comprises a community hall that is being used for meetings and other development activities.
Said Zilakoma: “However, we need additional support, particularly staff houses and a reliable water supply, to improve its operations.
“Currently, some extension workers travel long distances to reach the office, making it difficult to provide regular and timely services to all farmers.”
One of the farmers, Emily Kamundi, also described the facility as an important investment, saying farmers are now able to access technical advice and agricultural information, including climate change information, enabling them to make informed decisions.
Tukombo EPA agricultural extension development officer Jonah Nyirenda said the office has improved the delivery of agricultural messages but noted that a shortage of personnel continues to limit its reach.
He said the EPA requires at least six extension workers to adequately serve farmers but currently only has two officers.
“With adequate personnel, staff accommodation and reliable water, we would be able to serve more farmers effectively,” said Nyirenda.
Meanwhile, RCRP II District Engineer Happiness Fampeni said the original project design included two staff houses and a water supply system, but the components were not implemented due to other challenges encountered during the project.
