By Bazilio Chingoli

Ntcheu, April 30, Mana: Fourteen farmers from Ziipilana village in Traditional Authority Phambala in Ntcheu district have each received five goats under the pass-on program.

The initiative is part of the community livelihoods support program under the AREECA project of land and forest restoration, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Speaking during the ceremony on Wednesday, Ntcheu District Animal Health and Livestock Development Officer, Getrude Kanjere, urged farmers to abandon malpractices such as charcoal burning and venture into livestock farming.

"Livestock such as goats and chickens can easily elevate our livelihoods because we can sell them for money, have meat for our health, and harvest manure for our farm fields to have bumper yields," Kanjere said.

Kanjere advised the second beneficiaries of the goat pass-on program to take good care of the goats they received, so that they can also give other farmers who have no livestock in the future.

David Simon, a lead farmer of Chimwankhuku Farmer Field School, commended FAO for the support.

"The goats we received from this program have indeed transformed our lives. We can make organic fertilizer from manure we get from these goats." He said

Halima Austin, one of the second beneficiaries of the livestock pass-on program, echoed Simon's sentiments, saying the support will enable them to pay school fees for their children and provide food for their families.

As part of efforts to restore 5,000 hectares of land and forest around the Mpira catchment area, FAO distributed goats and chickens to farmers to provide them with a sustainable livelihood and discourage encroachment into reserved land.