Malawi Government impressed with SAPP interventions

Lilongwe, March 06, Mana: The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Benedict Chambo, has commended interventions implemented by the Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme (SAPP) in the country, saying the programme resonates with the MW2063 agenda pillar of agricultural productivity and commercialization.

Chambo made the remarks on Wednesday when he toured SAPP II sites at Chiwala Village, Mlomba Extension Planning Area (EPA), in the area of Senior Chief Chingala in Lilongwe, and Chitedze Research Station, to appreciate interventions that were implemented by SAPP I, and they are sustained by the ongoing SAPP II.

At Mlomba EPA, the Deputy Minister appreciated the organizational structure of the District Agriculture Extension Services System (DAESS), and the agricultural interventions that have been implemented under SAPP I since 2016.

He also appreciated the wealth that farmers participating in SAPP I have accumulated over the years through livestock pass-on intervention, and through irrigation and various agricultural technologies.

At Chitedze Research Station, Chambo toured a Mega demo farm where he appreciated various researches that the station is conducting on soils and fertilizers, cereals, legumes, herbal pesticides, and livestock feed, among others.

In separate interviews after touring the two sites, the Deputy Minister hailed the SAPP interventions, and he described them as Malawi’s way out from food insecurity.

“Having interacted with the farmers at Mlomba EPA, it is evident that the programme has brought wealth among the participating farmers, as evidenced by how much one farmer got after selling her 15 goats,” explained Chambo.

He added: “I’ve also observed a very good DAESS structure right from the top, down to the community level, which is very commendable as it makes the flow of information on agricultural technologies easier.”

However, Chambo observed that the agriculture sector has got gaps that require to be filled regarding Agricultural Extension Development Officers (AEDOs), a “very vital link, and vehicle for agricultural technologies to the farmers at section level”.

On the various researches and technologies at Chitedze Research Station, the Deputy Minister said time has now come for Malawi to fully embrace and adopt the new technologies that scientists come up with.

“We have competent scientists who are successfully conducting researches and coming up with various technologies; but we are not utilizing these technologies fully, in preference to foreign technologies: this is demotivating to our scientists,” complained Chambo.

SAPP National Coordinator, Rex Baluwa, echoed Chambo on SAPP I legacy, which SAPP II is building on, adding that if adopted and made available to the farmers across the country, the programme’s agriculture technologies could make Malawi a food sufficient nation.

SAPP II is financed by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and it will run for 7 years (2024 – 2030) in four districts, namely Lilongwe, Dowa, Mzimba and Balaka.

The project aims to contribute towards wealth creation and improve food and nutrition security among the rural population of Malawi, according to Baluwa.