The Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, has urged farmers in the nation to focus on enhancing their productivity by investing in irrigation agriculture.
While visiting Vikuyu and Kasungu Agro Wealth Creation Cooperatives, beneficiaries of the Agriculture Commercialisation and Mechanisation (AGCOM) project in Kasungu, Kawale emphasized the importance of not solely depending on rain-fed agriculture.
“We have experienced floods and drought in some parts of the country which have reduced crop harvest.
“That is why we introduced the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) agriculture loans, grants in AGCOM and loans in Mega farms, we are encouraging every person who has access to land that has water, to use the loan to invest in irrigation,” Kawale said.
The Minister said now is the time farmers should start harvesting three times a year through the use of rivers, dams and lakes.
“Malawi has a lot of water that we are supposed to utilize. We have been blessed so let us use the blessing by investing in irrigation,” he said.
Kawale was confident that irrigation and use of idle arable land would assist in sustaining food security in the country as farmer’s productivity would improve.
Government has invested K500 billion in AGCOM, K20 billion in mega farms and K17 billion in NEEF.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Kasungu East, Madalitso Kazombo, commended government for its commitment in supporting farmers in the country.
He emphasized on the need for awareness so that as many farmers as possible reap benefits from the projects.
