NGO promotes food security in Karonga

Cisp Malawi, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has launched a Sustainable Malawian Agriculture to Enhance Resilience to Climate Change Project to improve resilience of 2 000 vulnerable households in Karonga District.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, Cisp Malawi country representative Moses Ngwalo said they will focus on nutrition food and income security to build resilience among communities in the face of climate change.

He said: “We will train beneficiaries to monitor weather patterns and adapt to sustainable agricultural techniques and use mechanised tools.

“We will also promote reforestation and conservation of natural resources by formulating regulations that protect community forests.”

Ngwalo further said the project will strengthen rice value chain by improving management, networking, marketing and access to credit for rice cooperatives.

In a separate interview, Karonga district chief agricultural officer Rita Makwakwa pledged technical support to the project.

She said the project will improve food security as well as enable beneficiaries to generate income through rice production.

“Besides promoting food security, farmers in Karonga grow rice for sale and with value addition, they can fetch more money. In the end, people’s nutrition statuses will improve,” she said.

Caroline Mayuni, one of the rice farmers in Traditional Authority Wasambo, commended the project, saying she sells her rice cheaply because farmers do not do value addition.

“Selling raw rice fetches little money. We will earn more on the market if we start adding value to our produce,” she said.

The K952 million project will run for three years and is supported by partners such as Umunthu Plus, CBM, Rice Development Fund, Saint Anna School of Advanced Studies, Save the Children and Translate into Meaning.

In recent times, crop production has slumped in the country due to effects of climate change, including floods and dry spells.