By Aisha Chiwaya

Salima, December 20, Mana: Farmers in Salima District have expressed satisfaction with the readily available markets and farming skills provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) through the school feeding programme.

The homegrown school feeding programme being implemented by the Ministry of Education with financial support from WFP in Salima District provides meals in 52 primary schools.

Speaking on Thursday during a food exhibition open day organized by WFP, Chairperson for Linthipe Rice Farmers Club, Haroon Chapola, highlighted that aside from supplying food crops in schools which aims at improving cases of malnutrition, the corporative has also been empowered.

He said they are given a chance to bid for better prices on their produce.

However, Chapola emphasized the need for fair trade where all interested corporative participate in the bid.

“In the past, we have been competing on everything but this time around we were told that we can bid on everything else except for rice which our corporative grows. So, we were surprised because there is a need to put the same conditions on every crop," he said.

Salima District Assistant Nutrition Coordinator, Kingsley Chizeze said the positive change recorded can never go unnoticed adding the district continues to record positive strides in nutrition due to the homegrown school feeding programme.

"The good partnership between WFP and farmers has paved the way for the success of this programme as far as reducing cases of malnutrition is concerned. We credit WFP and farmers’ partnership,” he said.

Chizeze said they are currently focusing on food systems, whereby the food chain is analyzed from the beginning to the time of harvesting because understanding the efforts that are put into making food available in schools and on the market, makes one appreciate the efforts of farmers.

"Farmers explain how they are growing their crops and finding markets. This has contributed to high enrollment in schools and the decline in the number of school dropouts. So WFP is implementing government efforts to increase literacy levels.

“The foods that are being supplied by these farmers are locally available and grown by the farmers from this area, so we are assured that nutrition will not be affected even when the project end," he said.

WFP is working with Mkundi irrigation scheme, Senga hero cooperative, Salima horticulture cooperative among others.