Project to expand irrigation scheme in Karonga District

Karonga district director of agriculture, environment and natural resources Yazi Nyirenda has announced plans to expand Wovwe Rice Irrigation Scheme to 1 200 hectares (ha) from the current 700ha.

The expansion plans, which have come two weeks after President Lazarus Chakwera visited the newly-rehabilitated scheme, seek to increase the number of famers benefitting from the scheme.

In an interview on Saturday, Nyirenda said the initiative will enhance the use of irrigable land at the scheme, which opened in 1964, but became unusable in 2014 after floods destroyed it.

He said: “Right now, we have 700ha of irrigable land where farmers are growing rice twice a year.

“However, we want to expand it to 1 200ha to increase the capacity of winter cropping which is benefiting over 1 777 farmers.”

Wovwe Rice Irrigation Scheme water users association chairperson Raymond Msiska said the rehabilitation and expansion work will enhance income security among farmers.

“This is the oldest and biggest scheme in the district. Therefore, the expansion will provide an opportunity to more farmers to become food-secure and be able to pay school fees for their children,” he said.

Two weeks ago, Chakwera called on farmers to embrace irrigation farming to achieve income and food security.

Government through the Department of Irrigation with financial support from International Fund for Agricultural Development has rehabilitated the scheme as part of Programme for Rural Irrigation Development.