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Nsanje eyes irrigation farming to end hunger

Nsanje district director of agriculture services James Lichapa says irrigation farming is key to ending hunger in the district.

He said Nsanje usually experiences droughts, making it impossible to depend on rain-fed farming.

Speaking on Friday when Nsanje District Council handed over Mtowe Irrigation Scheme to communities in Traditional Authority Mbenje, Lichapa said the district has fertile soil but the major challenge is rainfall.

Water tanks installed at Mtowe Irrigation Scheme in T/A Mbenje in Nsanje. | Martin Gela Jnr

He said: “So, today we are handing over a 15-hectare [ha] scheme that can be utilised three times annually to end chronic hunger.

“We are making strides to end hunger through irrigation farming as the district has at least 3 000ha that can be used for irrigation.”

Nsanje Lalanje legislator Gladys Ganda (Democratic Progressive Party) thanked World Food Programme (WFP) and its partner the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) for the monetary support used to rehabilitate the irrigation scheme.

“I pledge to support the scheme with 12 pipes worth K1.4 million to ensure farmers start working as soon as possible,” she said.

Two farmers Blessings Sukali, 27, from Kachelenga Village and Geoffrey Kaputanjuchi, 35, from Kaputanjuchi Village said the scheme will help them grow crops thrice a year.

EAM board chairperson Archbishop Mark Kambalazaza  of Charismatic Redeemed Ministries International  thanked their sponsors WFP for giving them money to rehabilitate the scheme.

He said: “WFP gave us K140 million to rehabilitate the scheme and when we were starting our work, the scheme was only about 3.6ha with 10 000 litres of water from previous two tanks.

“Today, we are happy that we expanded it to 15ha and farmers can now access 70 000 litres.”

The scheme has 146 lead farmers who grow onions, tomatoes, cabbages, eggplants, beans, maize and vegetables.

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