By Winfrida Kamwana

Mchinji, May 30, Mana: Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) has urged farmers to embrace mechanization and machinery in farming in order to improve farm yields.

Speaking at Limbika Farm where TRADE was showcasing the use of a new machinery called a potato planter, Value Chain and Agribusiness Specialist, Linda Magombo Munthali explained that mechanization was vital to improving farm production and yields.

“The use of machinery such as the potato planter saves time rather than using manual labour. This way, farmers will have time to do more activities on their farm and avoid spending more time on one activity,” she said.

Munthali explained that in the process of commercializing agriculture, machinery and mechanization brings in labour saving and increase in productivity.

Director of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources in Mchinji, Hastings Yotamu said the use of machinery addresses many activities making it commendable for farm production.

“As one way of reaching Malawi 2063 goals, farmers need to take farming as a business and one way to do that is to invest in machinery which will be used for easy labour and production,” he said.

Yotamu asked farmers to join cooperatives for easy access to such machinery and grants from different stakeholders.

“Such machinery is expensive but recommendable which is why farmers are encouraged to be in cooperatives so that they can be able to raise funds and buy the needed farm inputs and share among themselves,” the Director said.

Owner of Limbika Farm, Annie Jaffu appreciated TRADE for introducing such machinery in their field of work saying this would make their work easier.

“As a farmer, efficiency is very important in farming and using this machinery will help us save time and save labour enabling us do more work in a short period of time,” she noted.

Officer in-charge for Gada Farm, Lieutenant, Deborah Nkulama said they would make it a point to access such machinery to their farm for improved yields.

“The potato planter does not only plant the potato but makes fine ridges at the same time making finer soil particles for easy growth of the potato which means the potatoes that will come out will be large and good to be used as seeds the next farming season,” she explained.

TRADE programme is a six-year programme under local government which is set to contribute to sustainable improved livelihoods of rural people in the country.