NEWS IN BRIEF
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MANAonline

By Leonard Masauli

Lilongwe, March 5, Mana: Most farmers in Malawi continue to face effects of climate change such as dry spell and sometimes prolonged rainfall which cause flooding in some parts of the country, damaging crops in the process.

The year 2023 marked one of the most challenging periods for Malawi, as Cyclone Freddy struck the country, causing widespread devastation to agricultural lands.

A report by Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DODMA), Farmers suffered immensely with more than 200,000 hectares of crops getting destroyed due to Cyclone Freddy which caused havoc across the country.

In addition to the havoc wreaked by natural disasters, the persistent invasion of fall armyworms further compounds the plight of farmers, diminishing crop yields and exacerbating food insecurity across the nation.

To defeat the worms, some farmers devised traditional means of eliminating the fall army worms such as applying wet soil in the Maize leaves or a solution of pounded Chilli pepper and salt.

Despite the repelling traditional mechanisms, the worms continue to worsen and invade crops year in and year out.

One farmer in Mchinji, Robert Katumbi said aside the dry spells this year, fall army worms have also been intensely tough on crops.

He said he would have lost all his maize to the worms if he had not applied insecticides five times for a month.

“I struggled to eliminate the army worms in my maize garden. I applied insecticides three times to at least lessen their impact, but they keep coming. Luckily, I have managed to save a bigger portion of the maize crop,” said Katumbi.

The incessant invasion of the army worms coupled by other challenges has significantly led to a decline in crop yield, hence contributing to food insecurity.

Could GM crops be the solution?

However, amidst these adversities, could genetically modified (GM) crops offer a viable solution?

The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) is conducting a Confined Field Trial for Biotechnology Developed maize crop, with an aim to confirm the efficacy of Genetically Modified maize crop in line against leaf-eating insects and herbicides tolerance.

The research, according to the scientists, could be a long-lasting solution against the Fall Army Worms and dry spells and beat food insecurity.

During a visit to some of the Trials, organized by LUANAR and National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), at the University, the Trial Manager, Kingdom Kwapata said the main objective for the trials are to identify and determine whether the insect resistance particularly Fall Army worms is working for the transgenic maize plant.

Kwapata said looking at the progress, it is evident that the plants that have the Transgenes, the leaves are intact, while those that do not have their leaves have been damaged with the Fall army worms.

“The major benefit for this technology, once done and approved, is that it will increase crop yield and because of that we are also expecting a corresponding increase in incomes.

“As you know, Fall Army Worms are one of the devastating impacts for maize in the country, and now the research has demonstrated that the maize we have are resistant to insects, this is very good news to farmers and the country as a whole,” said Kwapata.

Kwapata said the research will take three to four years because after the confined trial, they will take the trials in other parts of the country to ensure the stability of the genes to see that it is performing the same way as in the confined trials so that there is uniformity across the nation.

Project Manager for Open Forum on Agriculture Biotechnology (OFAB) based in Nairobi, Kenya, Vitumbiko Chinoko, said his organization is supporting technology development particularly the modern technology like the GMO technologies.

“Climate change has significantly affected agriculture and food systems in Africa, and we see population is growing and how the food import bill in Africa is also growing, it is time Africa member states can count on the challenges on the adoption of technologies into the agricultural systems.

“Currently we see those commitments in the agricultural sector, only 10 percent is going into the science and technology and with very little on GM technologies. It is high time for Malawi to embrace these types of technologies to improve on food security,” said Chinoko. 

On negative perception about GMO foods, Chinoko said there are a lot of negative perceptions countering the integration and adoption of the technologies into food systems.

Chinoko said Africa is moving in the right direction saying several countries such as South Africa have already adopted the system and very soon Mozambique is also adopting the technologies into their food system.

“We have GMOs in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria has commercialized maize, Ghana and Burkna Faso have both commercialized cowpeas. By doing so in these countries it means these technologies are good and they are helping farmers.

“All the perceptions and propagandas you hear about GMO foods and all the technologies that can cause cancer are false. These technologies take vigorous processes before they are accepted and given to farmers,” said Chinoko

Chief Research Officer at National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), Lyson Kampira said Biotechnology has proven the potential of tackling pests especially in maize crop which reduces yield in Malawi.

He said this is why LUANAR and NCST have commenced the Confined Field Trial to promote the technology.

“We are trying to see whether this Biotechnology can help to fight Fall Army worm in Malawi so that we can increase our crop yield.

And having visited the trial site we have seen that the maize crop under GM trial is growing very well and has not been attacked with Fall Army worm while the local variety is heavily under attack,” said Kampira.

Plant Breeder and Genetics expert at LUANAR, Professor Moses Maliro said the introduction of Genetically Modified crop such as maize, ushers in a great solution to food insecurity in the country.

By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, March 5, Mana: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa Director, Ahunna Eziakonwa has said her organization is committed to supporting more solar energy solutions in the country in order to increase access to affordable and sustainable electricity among households in the country.

She made the remarks on Monday, after touring Sitolo 80kW Solar Mini-grid in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Ndawambe in Mchinji district.

Eziakonwa said she is impressed with how community members including women from within Sitolo Mini-grid are benefiting from electricity from the solar mini-grid hence their commitment to increase the off grid electricity access in the country.

“We have seen women who have managed to move from using firewood which is hazardous to their health, they spent hours looking for firewood, but this is not the case now

Therefore, I am impressed with the transition which has been made from using firewood to using hotplates which does not have any pollution effects because when you cook with the biomass you pollute the environment but also you can get respiratory diseases form that,” Eziakonwa added.

She said an organization they were also pleased to learn how the Sitolo 80KW Solar Mini-grid has improved children performance at school as the children are able to study during the night and teachers are also able to deliver their lessons at night.

The UNDP Africa Director also applauded people of Sitolo village for conducting various businesses with the use of electricity generated at the Mini-grid.

“Energy access should not only be about lighting houses but it should also be able to improve livelihoods and that is what UNDP believes, to see a business man who is a carpenter using electricity to make his work easier, faster and come up with much bigger production and make more money for him is very impressive,” she said.

Eziakonwa said apart from supporting Malawi through the project dubbed ‘Africa Mini Grid Programme’ which UNDP launched with Global Environment Facility in 2023 at COP28 in Dubai they are eager to extend mini-grid projects in over 18 African countries.

Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola hailed UNDP for its commitment to supporting energy sector in the country.

“We commend UNDP for their interest to support our energy sector, currently we have 180, 000 households that have been waiting since 2016 and the UNDP support would help us to clear that backlog and also new connections which are coming,” Matola said.

Through the Sitolo 80KW Solar Min-grid, 3,640 people are accessing electricity through connections to 728 households in addition to 94 businesses powered by the mini-grid.

By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, March 3, Mana: Centenary Bank has launched digital insurance products and services which can be accessed and managed by customers through the bank’s mobile App, ‘CentreMobileMw’ available for android devices.

The products and services include motor vehicle insurance and funeral expense plans.

 

Speaking in Lilongwe on Saturday, the Bank’s Principal Banc Assurance Officer, James Msiska, said customers can select insurance and policies of their choice through the App.

“Customers can compare and select policies tailored to their needs in real time. For example, on motor vehicle insurance, one can compare premium quotations from five of our partner insurers and select the one that better suits their budget," Msiska said.

The insurance cover can either be under comprehensive or third-party on private or commercial vehicles which customers can conveniently pay using the platform and they can pick their insurance discs at any Centenary Bank branch convenient to them.

Msiska stated that, for funeral insurance, customers can include their family members.

“Besides one registering for him or herself, customers can further select the number of family members to cover and the desired payout amount.

"For example, with a premium of K200, one would benefit a payout of K200,000, and a premium of K1,000 for the maximum coverage of K1,000,000," he stated.

Msiska said, through the digital insurance services, the Bank aims to improve customer experience and meet the evolving needs of clients through their mobile platform as the streamlined process allows customers to efficiently evaluate and purchase policies completely through the App.

One of the bank’s customers, Caroline Phiri, applauded the Bank for coming up with the digital services saying they would save customers in times of need.

The digital insurance services are also aimed at reducing paper usage thereby making a positive environmental impact.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, February 3, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has asked Malawians to emulate selflessness and patriotism demonstrated by the country’s martyrs in order to achieve meaningful national development.

Chakwera made the remarks when he presided over commemoration of Martyrs Day in Nkhata Bay on Sunday.

He noted that the martyrs were a depiction of unflinching patriotism and selflessness as they sacrificed their lives to liberate the country from colonial rule.

Chakwera said modern-day Malawians should adopt the same spirit to overcome socio-economic challenges such as poverty. 

“The death of our parents on March 3, 1959 should remind us all to be patriotic citizens. A patriotic citizen devotes all efforts to fight for their country.

“Martyrs did not have any sophisticated weapons. They used locally available resources to fight back and this is what we need to emulate by using our wisdom and resources to develop this country,” he said.

Chakwera aslo disclosed that he will engage with the minister of justice to work out how all the bereaved families can be compensated.

Minister of Local Government Unity and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda commended political party supporters who attended the commemoration ceremony for being disciplined.

“Previous martyrs’ commemoration events had always been marred by political bickering among supporters of different political parties which used to anger the bereaved families. It is quite pleasant today to note supporters of different political parties singing and dancing in harmony,” Chimwendo Banda said.

Speaking on behalf of the bereaved families, James Thawi thanked Chakwera for laying wreaths at Kakumbi graveyard on the actual martyrs’ graves than laying wreaths on the memorial pillar only as has been the case with his predecessors.

This year’s event was commemorated on the theme: “Remembering our heroes: Upholding their legacy through unity and progress.” 

Notable faces that graced the commemoration included the First Lady, Madame Monica Chakwera, Vice President, Saulos Chilima, Speaker of Parliament, Catherine Gotani Hara, Leader of opposition in parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa and some cabinet ministers. Among others,

Saturday, 02 March 2024 19:10

Boundary dispute mars park fence project

By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, March 2, Mana: Misunderstandings have emerged between the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and communities in Traditional Authority (TA) Chulu in Kasungu over Kasungu National Park boundary with villagers claiming that DNPW wants to grab their farm land.

The dispute has halted construction of a perimeter wire on the eastern park side to protect surrounding communities from marauding elephants which destroy crops in the area.

A meeting summoned by DNPW on Friday involving chiefs from the concerned communities with Kasungu District Council officials, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Local Government, Unity ad Culture, the Surveyor General, Ministry of Lands, the police and other stakeholders failed to break the deadlock as chiefs demanded more time before allowing officials to visit the area to authenticate their claims.

Group Village Head (GVH) Kapatuka, accompanied by eight other GVHs from the area, told the meeting that park authorities want to create a new park boundary that would see at least 2,000 households lose their farm land.

He said: “We are not against construction of the fence. We want the fence as soon as possible because every day we are battling elephants that stray out of the park destroying our houses and crop fields.

“What we want is that the fence should pass through the designated boundary so that we don’t lose our land.”

Several other GVHs spoke in agreement with Kapatuka saying they are against the changing of the park boundary.

However, Kasungu National Park Manager, Ndaona Kumanga, refuted the claims of new boundary demarcations.

He said communities in the area have for a long time been cultivating in the land gazette as national park hence the resistance to shift as authorities want to erect a fence.

“We have no intention to continue seeing people fighting with elephants on daily basis because of the absence of the wire. We are trying our best to have this problem solved once and for all but our efforts are being halted community resistance.

“We are not creating new boundaries. We want the fence to pass through the gazette boundaries. We are equally surprised that people claim to have leased the land meant to be inside the park,” said Kumanga.

Gideon Chamatwa, a farmer in the area, claimed he bought the land saying land officers at Kasungu District Council were part of the lease process and authenticated that the land doesn’t belong to the park.

Surveyor General, Masida Mbano, said his team will move in to verify the authenticity of the lease documents that communities claim to have.

District Commissioner for Kasungu, James Kanyangalazi, said he has always worked to resolved resolve the issue but communities have not been cooperative.

“When we got reports that elephants are destroying crops in the area, we rushed there, only to be embarrassed and threatened by the community such that we did not want to go back out of fear,” he said.

Kanyangalazi asked the chiefs to treat the matter with urgency and invite authorities to visit the area.

However, the chiefs have requested for a week more before they communicate the date.

Since 2019, at least 2,783 reports of elephants strays from Kasungu National Park were reported; 697 were recorded in 2023 affecting 17 GVHs.

The problem has been exacerbated by cultivation of crops along the park boundary and inadequate perimeter fencing covering about 90 kilometres, leaving a stretch of at least 40 kilometres open.

Member of Parliament for Kasungu North West, Baudeni Mtonga, said the destruction of crops has resulted in many households facing acute food shortage.

He hopes a lasting solution would be found to have the project completed.

Director for DNPW, Bright Kumchedwa; Deputy Director for Chiefs Administration in the Ministry of Local Government, Culture and Unity, Darwin Mngoli; Commissioner for Eastern Police Region, Rhoda Manjolo and officials from the Attorney General’s office also attended the meeting which was supported by International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw).

By Andrew Mkonda & Rennie Tembo

 

Lilongwe, March 2, Mana: World Bank Senior Social Protection Specialist and Co-Task Team Leader, Ivan Drabek, has expressed satisfaction with different interventions that beneficiaries under Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) are undertaking to protect their catchment areas from different catastrophes.

 

Drabek made the remarks Friday during a field tour at Mgongonda Micro Catchment Area in Nathenje, Lilongwe.

 

The tour was aimed at appreciating progress of the project implementation under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP).

  

He said it is interesting and encouraging to see that beneficiaries and traditional leaders have taken ownership of the project.

 

“It is impressive to see interventions beneficiaries are doing in their catchment areas. Listening to them explaining knowledge and skills gained from field assistants and teaching others who are not part of this project is amazing,” he said.

Brabek assured beneficiaries that the Bank will do all it can to reach the targeted number of beneficiaries and increase their wages due to impact of the recent devaluation.

National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Project Coordinator, Paul Chipeta, assured beneficiaries of receiving their wages on time saying all the challenges that were causing the delay have been sorted out.

One of the beneficiaries, Potiphar Alufeyo, thanked World Bank and all stakeholders for the initiative saying apart from conserving the environment, the project has also assisted in improving their livelihoods.

“I used to harvest little due to climate change but with the knowledge and skills gained from this project such as pit planting basins, manure making and gully reclamation, I am optimistic that this year I will have bumper yields,” he said.

He asked World Bank to continue with the project so that as many people as possible benefit from the project.

SSRLP is a US$516 million project funded by the World Bank and the Multi Donor Trust Fund partners (USAID UK-FCDO, EU, Ireland, Iceland and Norway).

The project’s components are the CS-EPWP, Social Cash Transfer Programme and the Livelihoods Support and is being implement in all the 28 districts across the country.

Saturday, 02 March 2024 15:15

Mega farm empowers communities in Salima

By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, March 2, Mana: A mega farm under Greenbelt Authority (GBA) in Salima has transformed lives of community members who are benefiting from the initiative through employment.

Speaking during a media tour of the 100 hectare Chikwawa Irrigation Scheme located in the area of Senior Chief Khombedza, one of the beneficiaries, Owen Mwase, described his experience at the scheme as life changing.

He said before being employed at the farm he used to struggle to make ends meet especially feeding his family.

He said after being employed at the farm as a casual labourer he now affords a decent life.

"I have managed to buy twenty chickens and two goats and buying food for my household is not as difficult as it used to be. Our area is marred by food insufficiency since our crops did not do well the last farming season," he said.

Mwase is happy that he now affords to send his children to school saying he pays school development fund and buys notebooks for his primary school going children using wages realized from the farm.

Another beneficiary, Kerita Lyson, commended the initiative saying she is now independent and no longer depends on her relatives to take care of her four children as she receives K16,100 in wages every Friday.

Lyson said, through the wages, she has managed to rent one hectare of land where she has planted maize and is assured of food sufficiency.

Group Village Headman Mwazawala under Senior Chief Khombedza, in whose area the mega farm is located, is highly appreciative that most of his community members are employed at the farm.

"Government would have singled out any area in Salima but they chose this area. I do not take this for granted. Many people in this area were struggling financially and were food insufficient. Therefore, the timing for establishing this farm is good.

"One notable thing I have observed is that people working at the farm are organized and are jealously guarding it from ill intended people. The maize is doing well and we are anticipating bumper harvest,” he said.

BGA Chief Executive Officer, Eric Chidzungu, revealed that the Authority plans to expand the mega farms to scale up more job opportunities and ensure food security in the country.

"We believe in collaborating with communities to give them ownership hence solely depending on local workers for the success of the farm,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction that despite Salima having experienced dry spells in the past two weeks, Chikwawa Scheme is estimated to produce more than 280 metric tonnes of maize this season.

Chikwawa Irrigation Scheme has, currently, employed 140 locals manning the 100-hectare farm in the district.

By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, March 2, Mana: Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire, says tourism remains government's crucial sector in the implementation of the Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) strategy.

Mkandawire, who was representing Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule, made the remarks at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe Friday evening during commemoration of 35 years of service by Satguru Travel Group.

Mkandawire disclosed government’s commitment to accelerating tourism growth to ensure that Malawi remains one of the favourable tourism destinations in Eastern and Southern Africa.

He said government's commitment in improving the sector is manifested in the increased allocation to Ministry of Tourism in the 2024/2025 budget which will help the ministry carter for both tourism and wildlife sectors.

The Minister commended Satguru for its contribution to the country's tourism sector which he described as outstanding.

Satguru in Malawi Branch Manager, Swapnil Karkhile, hailed Ministry of Tourism for its commitment in promoting and championing tourism growth.

"As a company, we commend Ministry of Tourism for its active role in ensuring that the sector is revived," said Karkhile.

Satguru Travel Group was established in 1989 in Kigali, Rwanda.

In Malawi, the organization started its operations in 2011. So far, the company has won over 15 world travel awards.

Satguru Malawi has been leading in the travel agency awards in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

By Sellah Singini

Lilongwe, March 2, Mana: Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje, has described the National Skills Competition as an incentive for Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) trainees to demonstrate their skills and help raise skills levels across Malawi.

 

Speaking at Lilongwe Technical College on Friday during the closing of the first ever National Skills Competition, NyaLonje said the competition gives the trainees an opportunity to be creative, innovative and develop abilities to work under pressure.

 

She said Malawi’s socio-economic development agenda requires competitive skills to enable the country produce products and services that can compete on both local and international markets.

 

"It is worth noting that, currently, the TEVET system, through TEVET Authority, is striving to produce more artisans with skills that can match up to the acceptable national and international standards," NyaLonje said.

 

She said this, in turn, will result in improved quality of Malawi's national infrastructure and increased national employment, including in major projects, rather than relying on imported labour.

 

"It will facilitate a culture of innovation, which lies at the heart of economic growth," she added.

 

NyaLonje said, the competition environment also encouraged trainees to produce quality work well beyond their qualification levels which demonstrates to industries that the trainees can meet labour market standards.

 

She, therefore, urged all students to take competition as a springboard from which they must push and aspire to participate in international skills competitions.

 

TEVETA Board Chairperson, Pyoka Tembo, said 117 contestants participated in the regional competitions in April last year from seven technical colleges from the Northern Region, eight from the Southern Region and nine from the Central Region.

 

32 of the 117 contestants, who proceeded to the national round, received awards for doing well in their various disciplines such as automobile mechanics, tailoring and design, bricklaying, fabrication and welding, ICT as well as plumbing.

 

The competition has helped trainees develop key employability skills in areas such as problem solving, time management, effective team work and communication.

By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, March 1, Mana: Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Liana Kakhobwe Chapota, has urged the public and stakeholders in the water sector to take an active part in planting trees in the country in order to conserve and sustain water sources.

She made the plea in Lilongwe on Friday when she presided over the tree planting exercise organized by Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) in partnership with Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) at Lilongwe River catchment area at Malingunde.

Chapota said trees play a greater role in conserving water sources such as rivers and dams hence the need for more trees to be planted if water sources are to be conserved and sustained.  

“It is an undeniable relationship between trees and water sources because trees give a good vegetative cover which helps to conserve water resources hence the need to plant more trees to sustain water sources,” Chapota said.

She applauded LWB and MHC for initiating planting of over 6,000 trees at Malingunde saying, once they grow, the trees would assist protect Lilongwe River catchment area while at the same time sustaining availability of water in the river.

She, therefore, urged the two institutions to continue planting trees in order for the country to have more trees that would assist in water conservation.

“My advice to LWB and MHC is that planting of trees should be an ongoing exercise not only in the rainy season but also off season,” she said.

LWB Board Member, Lingalireni Mihowa, said the exercise was organized to plant trees that would protect Lilongwe River catchment where the Board sources its water.

“We thought of planting trees to conserve Lilongwe River which supports our ability to supply quality water to the people of Lilongwe,” Mihowa said.

MHC Board Chairperson, Reverend Jaleck Kachipanda, said they partnered with LWB in tree planting after noting the role that LWB plays in supplying water to the people of Lilongwe including those living in MHC houses.

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