Nice courts farmers on climate change
National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust has asked farmers to be steadfast in adopting new farming methods to fight climate change that threaten agricultural productivity.
Kasungu Nice civic education officer Pilirani Chaguza made the remarks during a mindset change sensitisation rally in group village head (GVH) Chilamphuma in Kasungu North Constituency.
He said: “We are all aware that our growing season is largely affected by unprecedented weather changes that have in turn reduced our yields.
“In some cases, we experience heavy destructive rains and sometimes prolonged droughts. This is a sign that climate change is real and that also calls for change in the way we approach our farming.”
demand services
Chaguza said there is need to reduce over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture by venturing into irrigation farming.
“Equally, we need to stop depending on inorganic fertilisers by making manure. We have extension workers in our respective communities and let us engage them so that they teach us some tricks about new farming methods, including manure making, food preservation and diversification,” he said.
According to Chaguza, to achieve agricultural commercialisation, one of the three pillars anchoring the Malawi 2063, communities must change their mindset on approaches to farming.
In her remarks, GVH Chilamphuma asked farmers in the area to take advantage of the available agriculture extension workers to seek knowledge about new farming technologies that can help boost yield.
“We must also learn to demand services from our duty-bearers regarding what we want. For example, if we want to learn how to make manure, we must invite the extension workers. They will not come on their own as some services are demand-driven,” she said.
