Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe has urged farmers in Nsanje to embrace irrigation farming to improve food security in the district.

He made the call on Wednesday when he alongside his deputy Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima and members of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture visited Chimwala-Mbangu Irrigation Scheme in the district.

“I encourage farmers to prudently make use of the irrigation scheme to mitigate the chronic hunger in the Shire Valley districts. I also commend the contractors for constructing a standard irrigation scheme,” said Lowe.

Lowe’s delegation tours solar-powered tanks at the scheme in Nsanje

Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture chairperson Ulemu Chilapondwa said it was important to engage technocrats in irrigation farming to implement such projects as rain-fed farming has proved to be unreliable.

Nsanje district irrigation engineer Jacob Moyo said they are planning to revamp seven irrigation schemes to improve food production and empower farmers economically.

He said: “From the irrigation scheme, farmers are expected to harvest at least 247 metric tonnes of maize from 90 hectares [ha] out of the 200ha.

“After selling the maize, we will realise about K90 million and K30 million for beans.”

Moyo thanked the Department of Disaster Management Affairs and Nsanje District Council for securing funding and monitoring the project.

“We also commend Gift of the Givers Foundation for supporting the farmers with tertiary canals, maize and bean seeds as well as  fertiliser,” he said.

Chimwala-Mbangu Irrigation Scheme chairperson Givemore Zambasa said Nsanje is prone to natural disasters such as floods and droughts, as such, irrigation farming is the only way to improve crop production.

“We do not want to be a burden on government during lean seasons,” he said.

The K346 million project was funded by the African Development Bank through the Post Cyclone Idai Emergency Project.

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