Malawi using 25% of land for irrigation
BY BLESSINGS KANG’OMBE, A CONTRIBUTOR
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has said Malawi is using only 25 percent of the total land that has potential for irrigated farming.
As things stand, only 112, 000 hectares of land are being utilised out of the 408,000 hectares at the disposal of farmers.
The revelations were made on Wednesday during the launch a manure and irrigation initiative in Ntcheu District. The initiative is under Lilongwe Agricultural Development Division (ADD).
Deputy Director for Irrigation Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Chawanangwa Jana, said there is need to avail more resources to farmers so that they can venture into irrigation.
“There are indications that our farmers are eager to engage in irrigation but lack of resources remains a challenge.
“We should pump in more resources so that the remaining farmland can be covered by our smallholder farmers who can start irrigating their crops,” Jana said.
In another development, Jana lauded farmers for adopting interventions such as manure-making.
Lilongwe ADD Deputy Programme Manager, Sheila Kang’ombe, urged farmers to adopt interventions being promoted by her office in a bid to increase agricultural productivity at household level.
“It is very encouraging to see a good number of smallholder farmers adopting various interventions being promoted by our office; hence, contributing to food security at household level,” Kang’ombe said.
Some of the interventions being promoted are manure -making, irrigation farming, fish farming and animal production.
Lilongwe ADD comprises the districts of Lilongwe, Dedza and Ntcheu.
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