By Andrew Phiri

Balaka, August 8, Mana: It is Friday afternoon around 3:30 pm, Sani Sofiti from Mtendere Village Level Action Plan (VLAP), Group Village Head (GVH) Kampeni under Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka district is busy with other members renovating stone bands.

Standing 200 metres away, one would think it is a fort at military base. But to Unyolo, this is a land restoration technique that slows down high speed water from the hills that wash away the fertile land his ancestors bequeathed him.

His land, located in the East from hilly area and South down to Shire River, Unyolo says he is well aware of the evils of mud slides; hence, is committed to renovate the stone bands to protect his land and the entire community.

“The problem of soil erosion is history in our area because we have stone bands and natural forests that we restored in all uplands down the streams. Every farmer has box ridges in their fields to allow proper infiltration of rain water,” he testifies.

Just like other members in Mtendere VLAP, Unyolo only shares 25 percent of modern agricultural practices learnt from Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP).

Implemented by the Government of Malawi with support from the World Bank, MWASIP in Balaka aims to restore about 10, 000 hectares of degraded land along Shire river areas starting from 2022 to 2026, by taking onboard farmers with three main components; land restoration, watershed services and technical support.

Sharing another experience related to Unyolo is Chimwemwe Jimmy, 22-year-old-girl from Mtola VLAP in GVH Lupanga TA Nsamala.

She stands in her garden filled with box ridges and swales.

As a youth, she said MWASIP has helped her to panel bit her future because she is optimistic to harvest more yields from her modern farming.

"With the dry weather that we experience here in Balaka, our previous harvests have been always poor. But this project has trained us to make Mbeya manure, swales and check dams to prevent fertile soil from being washed away down to Livilivi river," she said.

Added Jimmy: "We also have fruit gardens so that we should restore our nutrition status."

The modern agricultural experience that farmers under MWASIP in Balaka are sharing would compel one to fast forward the weather to reach rainy season in order to see their green fields.

However, that is not the case as the project also incorporates irrigation farming under the component of watershed services by encouraging farmers to practice Farmers Field Schools (FFS).

Nsamala FFS found in Livilivi Extension Planning Area (EPA) under Chidala section testifies the fruits of MWASIP because apart from practicing matching agriculture, they also own maize irrigation farm.

Steve Banda is Agricultural Extension Development Officer (AEDO) for the area and he explains how Nsamala FFS has managed to assimilate MWASIP objectives.

"In FFS, we give power to farmers to identify the problems affecting agriculture in their area, analyze it and find solutions. Through this strategy, we have many farmers that we move along with in whatever we are discussing starting from the grassroots of challenges they are facing until they find solutions," he said.

Banda adds that despite the El nino dry weather that has affected many parts of Malawi including Balaka in the 2023/2024 growing season, farmers under Nsamala FFS will harvest reasonable yields from their irrigation farming.

"You can see that the weather is very hot but the maize in this irrigation farm is strong and fresh, a sign that farmers will harvest more yields, courtesy of MWASIP," he assured.

What MWASIP is doing in Balaka is a reflection of embarking in Malawi 2063 vision since apart from equipping farmers with modern agriculture, the program is also promoting the adoption of agribusiness.

MWASIP Project Coordinator for Balaka, Lucreshia Matekenya said among other things, the program is committed to providing financial grants to farmers so that they should engage in agribusinesses such as piggery, beekeeping and fish farming.

"We believe that the financial assistance that will be provided to these farmers will capacitate them to transition and sustain the values of MWASIP because they will be able to make more money on their own," she said.

She adds that the project targets to give matching grants to 200 farmer groups and 60 agri-enterprises to enhance agricultural based livelihoods and boost household incomes.

Director of Agriculture for Balaka, David Ali, hailed government through MWASIP for implementing such a visionary project.

He said just like MWASIP, the district is also committed to roll out various modern and sustainable agricultural interventions such as Agriculture Commercialization Project (AGCOM 1) and Sustainable Agriculture Production Project (SAPP 1).

"Through projects like MWASIP, AGCOM 1 and SAPP 1, government is spending billions of kwachas to provide financial grants to farmers in the country including Balaka district so that they should venture into modern agribusiness," he said.

According to national Agenda 2063, Malawi aims to promote the sectors of Agriculture, Tourism and Industry (ATI) strategy hence MWASIP promotion and adoption of modern farming through land restoration, watershed services and financial services to farmers which plays a pivotal role in restoring the economic backbone of Malawi, agriculture.