By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, June 26, Mana: Secretary for Irrigation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Eng. Geoffrey Mamba has expressed satisfaction with the steps taken by the Greenbelt Authority (GBA) to maximise the country's maize production.

He made the remarks on Wednesday at Kanengo in Lilongwe during the handover ceremony of 162 metric tonnes of maize to National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), which the Authority cultivated through their rain-fed programme at Chikwawa irrigation scheme in Salima.

He stated that the initiative aligns well with the Ministry's objective of ensuring the country has sustainable food production and is food-sufficient.

“I applaud Greenbelt Authority for listening to the Ministry call and the Minister’s directive to embark in revitalisation of the agriculture sector through the Chikwawa irrigation scheme red fed initiative and a number of irrigation schemes which the authority was implementing

Greenbelt is providing some diversified interventions to maximize production of various crops such Sugarcane, maize, rice and other produces,” Mamba said.

GBA Vice Board Chairperson, Regina Sambakunsi said that 162 metric tonnes was a significant achievement despite challenges encountered due to erratic rains.

She pointed out that GBA would continue to improve the agriculture sector through irrigation and rain-fed programmes to embrace the vision of making the country a productive and self-reliant nation.

Board Chairperson for NFRA, Dennis Kalekeni, expressed satisfaction with the initiative, which he described as a milestone in complementing the Mega farm initiative and improving the country's food security.

“There is no need for these grain reserves to be empty our mandate as NFRA is to ensure that the reserves are full of grains

We are targeting over 100,000 metric tonnes in storage to ensure that we have adequate maize in our stocks’’ he said.

Kalekeni revealed that NFRA has opened mobile markets in Kasungu, Mzimba and Chitipa while and plans are underway to open in Mzuzu to ensure that maize was plentiful and available in the country's grain reserves, an initiative which would help to reduce and eradicate hunger among households.