By Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, April 8, Mana: Tiyeni, a local based Non-Governmental Organization aimed at promoting sustainable farming in the country, has challenged farmers in Lilongwe district to start embracing new agricultural technologies to have bumper yield.

Tiyeni Board Member, Professor Bernard Kamanga, made the call on Monday at Mkoma primary school ground, Traditional Authority Chimutu, in Kalulu Extension Planning Area (EPA), during ‘deep bed’ farming method field day.

“Times have changed because of Climate change and farmers now should start cultivating in a different way. So by bringing in, deep bed farming method, we want farmers to start managing soil and water because deep bed farming harvest rain water and controls erosion,” said Kamanga.

He further said it is interesting and encouraging that many farmers in the district have started using and appreciating the new agricultural technologies in their farms.

“As I am speaking, some of our members are in Zimbabwe where they have been invited to teach farmers there on deep bed farming method. The demand is high, but the challenge has been resources,” he said.

Chief Crops Officer for Agriculture Development Division (ADD) for Ntcheu, Dedza and Lilongwe, Fumbani Kadokela, thanked Tiyeni for the initiative, saying with the erratic rains that the country is currently receiving, there is need to adopt new agricultural technologies in order to have bumper yield.

“We need to accept that climate change is here to stay, but as farmers we just need to find means and ways of adapting to such situations by, among other things, harvesting rainy water through deep bed farming,” he said.

One of the Lead Farmers, Gladwell Kapatuka, said he has been experiencing bumper yield since he started practicing deep bed farming method.

“Let me encourage my fellow farmers to start practicing deep bed farming and they will never regret even if the rains won’t be enough because deep beds keep moisture for some time,” he said.

Tiyeni has been operating in the country for over 15 years and the organization                                                                                                                          has reached out with this initiative to almost every district in the country.