NGO trains farmers to make manure
Foundation for Community Support Services (Focus) has trained farmers from nine villages in Paramount Chief Kyungu’s area in Karonga District on how to make manure from cow and chicken dung.
The organisation has also advised farmers to practise conservation agriculture in the wake of climate change to improve their farm produce.
Focus project coordinator for Harvesting Prosperity and Resilience Programme, Jones Sichali, said the project seeks to enhance food production.
He said the project will benefit 700 smallholder farmers this growing season and 2 100 farmers in the next two years in resilience building initiatives.
“The project will also contain lessons on food diversification to reduce stunting,” said Sichali.
Kondwani Silumbu, a lead farmer, said it was cost-effective to make manure since materials such cow dung, maize husks, and leaves were locally found.
“We have embraced conservation agriculture and the making of composite manure to restore soil fertility and keep moisture,” he said.
“The technologies I have learned will enable my family to harvest yield to last a whole year.”
Mpata Extension Planning Area agricultural extension development coordinator Gilbert Shela hailed the partnership between government and Focus for the training. Focus with funding from Rise Against Hunger-America is implementing the project in Karonga and Mzuzu.
