By Isaac Salima:
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has pumped in $60 million (about K105 billion) for implementation of the second phase of the Shire Valley Transformation Programme (SVTP) and the Rumphi Water Sanitation Services Improvement Project.
AFDB Country Manager in Malawi Macmillan Anyanwu disclosed this on Monday in Blantyre during the launch of the projects.
He said they have provided additional funding for the implementation of the SVTP to the tune of $28 million (about K49 billion) while $32.2 million (about K56.4 billion) has been allocated for the Rumphi Water Project which will be implemented by the Northern Region Water Board (NRWB).
The support is a big boost to the two projects which, if completed, will make a significant difference to beneficiaries.
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The Shire Valley Transformation Programme which is co-founded by the World Bank and the government, aims at increasing agriculture productivity and commercialisation for targeted households in the Shire Valley districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje.
Anyanwu said they are delighted that additional resources have been allocated for the continuation of the project.
“This is the biggest infrastructure project in Malawi. We hope to be making investments in phases because we cannot mobilise the resources at the same time. The project is significant because it will address the issue of food security, support job creation and also the government’s mega farms agenda.
“We are also happy that the project will benefit people. Some of the beneficiaries include small-holder farmers, potential big farmers who will utilise the project and people from across the country who will be able to have access to the produce,” Anyanwu said.
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The SVTP, which started around 2018, aims at providing irrigation to over 43,000 hectares through the phased construction of a new gravity-fed irrigation system to cultivation.
Anyanwu expressed satisfaction with the first phase of the project that mainly involved preliminary investments in irrigation canal channels, other constructions and environmental assessments.
He said the second phase is expected to take about five years.
SVTP Director of Irrigation Services in the Ministry of Agriculture Geoffrey Mwepa said the funding means that the government is on cause in fulfilling goals of the project.
“There is a lot that has been done [by now] in terms of putting up infrastructure. In the second phase, Malawians should expect the project to take shape so that the valley should be productive. At the moment, our target is that, by the end of this year, we should have about 1,300 hectares under irrigation. After this phase, we will move to the next one until the entire target of providing irrigation to 43,000 hectares is achieved,” Mwepa said.
AfDB is working in partnership with other development partners such as the World bank, European Union and Opec Fund for International Development, which is bringing in an additional $20 million.
NRWB Chief Executive Officer Francis Munthali said the water project will improve water supply in Rumphi District and surrounding areas.
“We are rehabilitating and improving the water supply services in Rumphi and surrounding areas. Currently we are only supplying water to the main town in the district. So, the project will extend water supply,” Munthali said.
He said they expect to expand and upgrade their distribution network of about 323 kilometres.
The project is also expected to connect about 12,600 new customers by the implementation timeframe of 2027.
