A research team has discovered 47 integrated technologies that it says has potential to contribute to climate change adaptation and increase farmers’ productivity.
During a research seminar held in Lilongwe Tuesday, the team said it believes the technologies would also complement the government’s efforts of establishing mega farms to increase productivity.
The research technologies have been discovered under Development- Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (Desira) whose goal is to come up with climate smart innovations to improve productivity in Malawi through multidisciplinary research.
Desira Programme Manager Gbenga Akinwale said Malawi’s agriculture sector has vast potential for growth.
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“Talking about commercialisation of agriculture, we should also think about the climate change scenario. So, these climate smart integrated technologies will also help the mega farms,” Akinwale said.
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He said the research-oriented project’s aim is to create climate smart integrated technologies research in areas such as crop varieties, climate smart soil fertility management and intercropping to help farmers adapt to climate change.
“One of the focus areas of this project is to develop climate smart integrated portfolios that can help us adapt to climate change in Malawi,” Akinwale said.
He said, so far, 17 integrated technologies have been identified in crop varieties, climate smart maize, beans varieties, sweet potato smart intercropping system and technologies alternative to organic fertiliser.
He said the 17 technologies are at a final stage of evaluation and would be released through the agricultural technology committee.
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Akinwale added that between September and the first quarter of 2024, at least 30 technologies to be used by farmers in Malawi will be released.
Senior Deputy Director from the Department of Agricultural Services in the Ministry of Agriculture David Kamangira said, if well utilised, the climate change integrated technologies would help the country manage climate shocks.
Kamangira explained that the country is experiencing several climate change effects including droughts and floods that need answers.
“We are also coming up with integrated management technologies which are dealing with pests and disease management so that in any case of outbreak of pests and diseases, we should be able to manage the outbreaks,” Kamangira said.
Desira is a five-year project funded by the European Union but is being implemented in coordination with nine different organisations including the International potato Centre, University of Liege and Icrisat.
