By Joel Phiri

Mzimba, August 30, Mana: Director of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources for M’mbelwa District Council, Beatrice Mbakaya has called upon newly elected leadership of District Stakeholders Panel (DSP) to be vibrant in ensuring that farmers’ needs are channelled to relevant authorities in order for them to be addressed.

Mbakaya was speaking on Tuesday in Mzimba during a district agriculture stakeholders panel meeting with various members of Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) drawn from Mzimba South.

She said most farmers have needs such as lack of markets for their agricultural produce, knowledge on where to get expertise on their farming and information on loan providers, among other issues, which the panel needs to handle and resolve in order to help the farmers get by with their farming activities.

 ‘‘As ministry of Agriculture, we look up to committees such as DSP to know issues that farmers have on the ground. You are our eyes on issues requiring our interventions.

“So, we ask you to be vibrant in working and reporting all issues and concerns to us as well as other actors so that all issues facing farmers be addressed. Together we can enhance the development of the agriculture sector through our different roles,’’ she said.

Acting chief agriculture officer for M’mbelwa District Council, Raphael Msyali said the future of agriculture rests on the shoulders of DSP because they are the ones who link up farmers with various actors in the agriculture sector.

‘‘The committee develops linkages with organizations so that when farmers need services in irrigation for example, the committee should be able to link the farmers to them” he said. or

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