Government hails China-Malawi partnership in agriculture sector

Minister of Agriculture,Irrigation and Water Development Kondwani Nankhumwa has expressed government’s delight in the way the People’s Republic of China is committed in supporting Malawi in its efforts to achieve a hunger free nation.

Nankhumwa was speaking in Chiradzulu on Monday, December 30 when he presided over the handing over ceremony of a solar powered irrigation and maize milling facility at Mikolongwe Veterinary farm in the district.

The facility, which has been established by a Chinese company Hebei Pingle Flour Manufacturing, is a milestone in the government’s vision of agricultural mechanisation and value addition as championed by President Professor Peter Mutharika — which is aimed at alleviating food shortages in the face of climate change.

The Minister, who is also DPP Vice-president for the Southern Region and Leader of Government business in Parliament, observed that Malawi is endowed with enourmous water resources such that if they were harnessed and managed properly, the country has the potential to produce enough for its citizens and export the surplus.

On this point, the Mulanje Central legislator took advantage to highlight some of the strategies contained in the National Agricultural Policy that aims at bringing hunger to an end through modern technologies.

Accompanying the Minister were the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Gray Nyandule Phiri, District Commisioner Chavura, Senior Chief Kadewere among others.

Apart from food production processing, the facility will also help livestock farmers in the area to access livestock feed.

Hebei Pingle Flour Machinery Group is a diversified group interprise founded in 1991 and has plants in 40 countries.