People hail livestock pass-on project

Farmers in Traditional Authority (T/A) Nyaluwanga in Nkhata Bay District have hailed a livestock pass-on project being implemented by Temwa Malawi Organisation.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, Roderick Mhone, a farmer from group village head Kalonga, said the project has transformed his livelihood.

He said previously, his family was food-insecure and lived in abject poverty.

“But I received pigs under the project which I sold after they multiplied. I used the money to buy farm inputs. I grew maize and bananas,” he said.

Mhone said besides selling live animals, he also gets manure which he applies in his garden to improve soil fertility and food production.

Temwa Malawi organisation programmes manager Kondwani Botha said agricultural produce has been dwindling in the district due to the rising cost of farm inputs.

“When we engaged community members to choose the type of farming they wanted, most of them settled to raising pigs because of its high reproduction rate,” he said.

Nkhata Bay District chief agriculture officer Watford Banda said livestock farming is crucial in a number of ways.

“Livestock farming can improve people’s nutrition status through eating meat. Second, people can sell the animals to raise money for their families. Finally, others can use the manure in their gardens,” he said.

At least 200 people from the area have benefitted from the programme.