By Beni Bamusi

Thyolo, March 29, Mana: Farmers in Thyolo district have been urged to take farming as business if they are to make profits and improve their economic livelihoods.

The statement was made on Thursday during Agriculture Field Day which took place at Chinguluwe Primary School ground in the area of Traditional Authority Bvumbwe.

Speaking after visiting model farms and under the theme, “Promoting Diversified and climate resilient approaches for increased and sustainable agricultural productivity,” Thyolo District Commissioner, Hudson Kuphanga said it is high time farmers should emulate modern farming techniques and treat their work as business saying he is impressed with what the farmers are doing as it has potential to champion national development.

“Today we have visited farmers who are into fish farming, dairy farming and others are into macadamia nuts combined with maize farming, and this is an indication that people are serious with agriculture. For instance, macadamia nuts; this product has the capacity to replace tobacco.

“As council, we ask government to make feed for fish available to farmers on the local market since you can rarely find it as indicated by farmers, instead they use other alternatives as feed and this inhibit the growth of the fish” he said.

Kuphanga added that macadamia farming has the potential to replace tobacco which provides foreign currency to the country.

“Macadamia nuts generate huge sum of money hence there is a need for mindset change for people and government to abandon tobacco and put much effort in the nuts by making it accessible on the market to macadamia farmers.” he added.

Chief Land Sources Conservation Officer from Blantyre Agriculture Development Division, Medson Thole said the field day is important to small holder farmers as it promote good agriculture practices among them which in turn boost their productive.

Michael Somanje who represented Kambiri Estate which practices fish and banana production in Dwale Area said they have learned a lot from the field day adding they will expand into other farming activities which other farmers are doing.

During the day, Bvumbwe Research Station showcased newly released varieties of sweet potato, groundnuts, soybeans potato and pigeon peas, also One Acre Fund, and other Agribusiness enterprises showcased their pavilions.