Machinga district director of agriculture, environment and natural resources Nditani Maluwa has commended government for its initiative to construct an irrigation scheme in Traditional Authority Chamba.

Speaking on Tuesday when the council officials toured the 183-hectare Lingoni Irrigation Scheme project site, he said it will enable farmers to grow thrice a year.

“For a long time, people in the area have failed to get bumper yields due to erratic rainfall. However, the irrigation scheme will help them grow maize and other crops for food and sale,” said Maluwa.

Machinga district commissioner Lucia Joabe Chidalengwa said besides improving food security, the scheme will create jobs for community members.

Farmers’ representative Maliko Maulana said the scheme will help people harvest enough for their families and sell the surplus.

The canals under construction at Lingoni Irrigation Scheme in Machinga

“We have always faced food shortages in our area due to poor rainfall, at times. With the scheme, we will produce crops thrice a year, thereby making our homes food-secure,” he said.

Maulana also commended Programme for Irrigation Development (Pride) and Enhancing Resilience for Agro-Ecological System Project (Erasp) for constructing the scheme and drilling farmers in modern farming practices.

Another community member Yetuwe Alabi from Tokomana Village said they are keeping bees under the Pride project.

“Bee-farming has proved to be a lucrative business for our families. We are able to provide basic necessities to our families after selling honey,” she said.

Pride programme is a seven-year Malawi Government project funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development to improve food security and income while Erasp seeks to enhance skills, knowledge and farming practices, irrigation infrastructure and promoting ecosystem services for sustainable catchment management

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