A group of concerned youths inculcating waste management in Ndirande through converting it into compost fertilizer

* It’s just a passion of concern of 14-plus volunteers financing themselves from their own pockets * They are motivating the communities to store their household waste products and hand them over to the Impact Group * The group is also raising tree seedlings which they want to plant on Ndirande Mountain * That have been left bare through wanton cutting down of trees by the community members By Petro Mkandawire, Correspondent Careless waste disposal is on a worrisome…

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Johnston Village in Kasungu earns praise from Flanders Govt. for its climate change resilience

The Flanders delegation being appraised of the village’s irrigation scheme  * We were not able to produce enough crops for food and for sale due to poor rains and degraded soils * We have an irrigation scheme where we grow crops three times a year * We make manure for the degraded soil; we have a planted community forest and naturally regenerated forest * Where we are harvesting honey, and we have portable tap water By Vincent Khonje, MANA…

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CAMA questions if Malawi government’s financial controls are efficient enough after failing to detect illegal transactions at Lowe-headed Agriculture Ministry

Fired Agriculture Minister, Lobin Lowe * Chakwera simply confirmed what was always known by the public * Malawians expected the State President to have already triggered the legal process * To hold the various institutions and individuals that facilitated this illegal transaction to be held accountable By Duncan Mlanjira While thanking President Lazarus Chakwera for addressing the nation on matters related to abuse of public money on the procurement of fertilizers under the Agricultural Input Program (AIP), Consumer Association…

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Greatest matter of urgency is to rescue this year’s AIP—Chakwera

Chakwera speaking to the nation on Tuesday evening  * 35,000 metric tonnes of NPK and 31,727 of Urea are available in Malawi * Another 7,000 metric tonnes of NPK will be on its way from Beira, Mozambique * 51,500 metric tonnes of NPK has been identified abroad, and financing options and procurement procedures are being pursued * 31,500 metric tonnes of Urea has also been secured, 13,500 of which already started arriving in Malawi * Most of the remainder…

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Public applauds choice of Kawale as Agriculture Minister replacing Lowe

* Kawale is a serious man — I know he will deliver. He brought a lot of innovations at Ministry of Lands * Being a noble person, he shouldn’t fall in the trap of being absorbed in the system * Time is a savage — even the noble can be changed through trappings of power * I am worried about the Ministry of Lands — it’s one of the most rotten ministries where we needed Hon. Sam to head…

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CFTC inspection exercise exposes serious breach of Contract Farming Strategy by industry players

* Some farmers indicate that they did not sign contracts with contract buyers * Some contracts were in English, and used difficult legal language which the farmers could not understand * Specific prices for inputs were not indicated * Loans were in foreign currency (US$), not in local currency By Duncan Mlanjira Following up on its mandate, the Competition and Fair Trade Commission (CFTC) conducted inspections on contract farming in which it engaged over 60 farmers’ clubs across the…

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Chakwera impressed with progress of Shire Valley Transformation Programme

Chakwera and the First Lady viewing where the intake is to be rebuilt * Illovo Sugar Malawi also impresses the President in its planned investment to tap water from the canal * Through use of canal, Illovo Sugar is set to save on costs of power from ESCOM’s grid * The surplus power on ESCOM grid would be fully utilized for rest of Lower Shire communities * Over 48,400 households to benefit from the largest irrigation canal project in…

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AIP Targets 490,449 farming households in Lilongwe

AIP products * The beneficiary farming households will be identified and pre-listed from their farmer groups * Before a screening process at the Ministry of Agriculture * With an aim of ensuring that only those in active farming activities do benefit Nellie Kapatuka, MANA Lilongwe District Council agriculture cluster chairperson, Councillor Mathia Kavala says 490,449 farming households will benefit from the Malawi government Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) during the 2022-2023 farming season. Speaking during a full Council meeting on…

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NGO invests 56 bicycles for Kasungu lead farmers; As Water for People also 3 to Blantyre schemes

The donation in Kasungu * To ease mobility challenges which lead farmers have been facing in course of carrying out their duties * Water for People donation is a quest to promote professionalism in management of rural solar powered water establishments By Yankho Phiri & Chilungamo Missi, MANA Circle for Integrated Community Development (CICOD), a nongovernmental organisation that works in the agricultural industry, has donated 56 bicycles to lead farmers in Santhe and Chulu extension planning areas (EPAs) in…

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Agriculture Minister implores on Chiradzulu communities to invest in irrigation farming

A female farmer explaining their work programme to Lowe * There are millions of kwachas in irrigation farming–Lowe   * Liaise with district director of agriculture, go and visit other irrigation schemes and see how your friends are progressing By Lydia Maganga, MANA Minister of Agriculture, Lobin Lowe has urged communities in Chiradzulu to fully utilize and invest in irrigation farming as it is a money spinner that could help in boosting the economy of the country. On his…

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