By Tabbu Kitta Kauye

Lilongwe, July 10, mana:  President Lazarus Chakwera has called on members of the Southern Confederation of Agriculture Union (SACAU) to step up and protect farmers in the region to ensure that they are resilient from shocks associated with climate change.

The president made the call, during the opening of a two-day Annual general conference of SACAU in Lilongwe.

 President Chakwera, reiterated the importance of Agriculture in the country's economy, saying it is not only a source of livelihood for majority of Malawians but also the leading engine for forex

  "We are hosting this conference as an expression of our desire to bring all Agriculture interests and partnerships in the world to bear on our pursuit of prosperity of our farmers” said Chakwera

“Farmers are the heart of this sector, therefore their resilience and productivity are crucial for our nations" prosperity, “said the President.

President Chakwera said Malawi is committed to work with SACAU in advancing the common goal of building a more resilient agriculture sector that benefits all members.

Delivering his keynote speech, Chief Executive Officer for SACAU Ishmael Sunga, highlighted the need for members to revitalize the agricultural sector by among other things, harnessing the digital technology, robust investment in the agriculture sector.

According to Sunga, member states can achieve high agricultural prosperity and productivity if they collectively agree to invest in the youth agri-entrepreneurship.

The Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) is a regional farmer's organisation representing the common interests of organized agriculture in the Southern African Development

Community countries.

It currently has 19 member organizations, from 12 countries in Southern Africa.