Nkhata Bay benefits from Linga Irrigation Scheme

* From the 1,000 hectares designed, 450 hectares of land have been utilized, through which farmers have managed to produce 900 metric tonnes of rice and 12 metric tonnes of beans

* In the next farming season, we’ll be adopting new technologies called system of rice intensification whereby we expect to double three times the initial production realized

By Tawonga Moyo, MANA

The establishment of Linga Irrigation Scheme in Nkhata Bay, the biggest of its kind in the country, is said to be yielding fruits in the district since President Lazarus Chakwera commissioned it in September last year.

The scheme, which is located within Chintheche Extension Planning Area (EPA) in the areas of traditional authorities Fukamapiri and Malengamzoma, uses water from Linga Dam which has a capacity of 14 million cubic metres and caters for 1,000 hectares of irrigable land.

The scheme is part of an agricultural infrastructure & youth in agribusiness project (AIYAP), which seeks to promote agricultural commercialization and food security for enhanced wealth creation and its coordinator, Tinkho Msimuko Mpezeni said he is impressed with how farmers are utilizing the scheme.

“From the 1,000 hectares designed, 450 hectares of land have been utilized, through which farmers have managed to produce 900 metric tonnes of rice and 12 metric tonnes of beans, which is quite impressive.

“In the next farming season, we’ll be adopting new technologies called system of rice intensification whereby we expect to double three times the initial production realized. We monitor farmers so that whatever is being done benefits communities.

Mpezeni said AIYAP project incorporates the youth, by enabling them to be off-takers in adding value to the crops grown by local farmers through the scheme, to which they’ll sell at a high price.

“The system is already working. We have six outlets that our youth created, to which they are benefitting from. They now have an alternative way of generating income rather than burning charcoal,” he said.

In his remarks, Linga Water Users Association president, Anderson Manda said farmers in the district are joyful as initially, they were pessimistic of the possibility of farming during the dry season and being able to generate produce.

“The results have given joy to farmers as they were doubtful on whether this would work,” he said. “Since we began farming here in Nkhata Bay, we have never recorded such high yields of produce during the dry season. Farmers are looking forward to more of this nature.”

One farmer who has benefitted from the scheme, Aitkins Banda from Traditional Authority Fukamapiri said he managed to harvest 6,550kgs bags of rice this season from his one-acre land.

“Prior to the scheme, I was harvesting only 15 bags of rice due to relying on old farming methods. We used to source water from the streams for our rice which was a tiresome process.

“I realized K5 million after selling my 65 bags of rice and I used the proceeds to construct a house, acquire livestock and send my child to school,” he said.

Through the project, funded by the Malawi Government, African Development Bank and the European Development Fund, 384 youths have been trained in various farming fields.

Meanwhile, other farmers’ cooperatives in Nkhata Bay, which benefitted in phase one of Agriculture Commercialisation (AGCOM) project have hailed the project for boosting their agricultural production through provision of grants.

Speaking on Monday when Minister of Agriculture visited the district to appreciate how the cooperatives have utilised AGCOM grants, chairperson for Toweca Producers & Marketing Cooperative Society, Robson Munyenyembe said they used part of the grants to procure a tractor, plough, ridger and planter.

Munyenyembe said with the modern implements, their farm operations have been mechanized, enabling them to increase land for soya beans production to 30 hectares this year, from nine hectares last year.

“AGCOM gave us K82 million grants which came in two tranches,” he said. “We used money received in the first tranche to buy a tractor, plough, ridger and planter at a total cost of K60 million.

“We also used grants received in the second tranche to build a big warehouse for storage of our soya beans harvests,” he said.

Secretary for Mtoto Poultry Cooperative & Bee Keeping, Dorothy Mzumara said their cooperative received K30 million grants which they used to buy a two-ton lorry, gas heater and solar panels for use on their poultry farm.

Mzumara, however, complained about lack of market for their chickens and asked government to protect smallholder broiler chicken farmers from big companies, which she accused of monopolizing the business.

“There are big companies which sell us broiler chicks, chicken feed and other materials required for broiler chicken production. However, the same companies are also getting involved in growing broiler chickens which they are supplying even in rural markets at cheaper prices which we cannot compete with,” she said.

In his remarks, Kawale promised that his Ministry is going to engage Competitions & Fair Trading Commission and Ministry of Trade on the issue of alleged monopolistic tendencies by chicken feed manufacturing companies.

Kawale added that he was impressed that more women and young people were actively taking part in the project and transforming their livelihoods economically.

AGCOM is a government project which aims at transforming small holder agriculture from mostly subsistence to commercial.—Additional reporting by Yamikani Sabola, MANA