The government has urged significant investment in irrigation to combat food shortages in the country.
Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale emphasized this need while launching the Dowa Dambo Irrigation Scheme two days ago, funded by the Malawi government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with an investment of K29.1 billion.
The scheme includes the construction of five dams and over 30 submersible pumps to irrigate 453 hectares of farmland.
Kawale highlighted that recent erratic rainfall and droughts, which led to disaster declarations in many districts, underscored the necessity of moving beyond rain-fed agriculture to ensure food security.
“In recognition of that, President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera expressed numerous measures put in place to deal with long term food shortages, with special emphasis on irrigation agriculture.
“Irrigation is very important to us as a nation. It will help our farmers plant and harvest more than once, depending on the crop under cultivation. It will provide socio economic endeavors, enough and nutritious food critical for a healthy population that can partake in the development of the country,” he said.
The Minister pointed out the need for the community to utilize the project, which was being constructed by the Foundation for Irrigation and Sustainable Development (FISD) and a joint venture of SAWA and SICO JV, and expected to be completed in 18 months.
Kawale added that Ministry of Agriculture was committed to achieving the country’s quest for sustainable food security.
“As such today, we have immense joy with this project as it not only contributes towards Malawi 2063, but answers the request from Malawians to help them grow more food,” he said.
IFAD Country Director, Bernedette Mukonyora said her organization was supporting government to have adequate funding to actualize its plans, programsme, policies and priorities in the agriculture sector.
She said with irrigation farming and infrastructure development being a core pillar under Malawi 2063, Malawi like other countries was facing challenges due to climate change, making it difficult to attain food security.
“So we are funding this program to enable government support the food security and production agenda of this country. Irrigation allows you to produce more than once, which means continuous cropping.
“This project will help in supporting household production in Dowa, it will promote diversification because a community can cultivate different crops within the year, and it supports the agriculture commercialisation agenda,” she said.
Chairperson for Dowa District Council, Mayamiko Kambewa said the project would help farmers benefit from their farming activities.
“If we want to see tangible results in farming, we have to encourage farmers to harvest more than once a year. One of the ways is to put in structures which will encourage irrigation farming.
“We are very happy because we know that this is the beginning of a new era which will propel food security and income generation for our people,” he said.
Government is constructing the scheme, which is the eighth one in the country, through the Department for Irrigation under the Program for Rural Irrigation Development (PRIDE).
