By Innocent Kalikokha:
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has unveiled a $2 million project to support 5,000 farming households that were affected by El-Niño weather in the Shire Valley districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje.
The funds are meant for the purchase of farm inputs under a project that is running from May to December this year.
Speaking to The Daily Times on Monday after briefing stakeholders about the project in Nsanje District, FAO Head of Emergency, Resilience and Ectad Group, Daniele Barelli, said the project sought to support targeted households with cash, with which they can purchase seeds and fertiliser to boost winter crop cultivation.
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“We read a report from the Ministry of Agriculture saying that last year, El- Niño caused food loss for many households and that, by December 2024, 60 percent of households didn’t have enough food. So, we believe that Nsanje and Chikwawa remain some of the most vulnerable districts when it comes to natural hazards, hence the intervention,” Barelli said.
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He also disclosed that the project sought to rehabilitate non-functional irrigation schemes in the two districts.
“We have been working closely with the Government of Malawi in order to promote the use of irrigation to boost winter production in the country,” Barelli said.
Lalanje Ward Councillor Abdul Akim urged the authorities to ensure that the programme is only benefitting affected households.
“We have been hearing about cases of non-deserving people benefitting from such programmes in the past. I would like to plead with you to ensure that this does not happen in this programme,” Akim said.
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Each district has been allocated $1 million, and 2,500 households in each district expected to benefit from the programme.
In Nsanje, the programme would benefit affected farming households in Magoti, Zunde and Nyachilenda extension planning areas.
