By Salome Gangire

Neno, June 4, Mana: Director of Planning and Development for Neno District Council, Charles Lomoni, has urged farmers under newly constructed Tsenjerani Irrigation Scheme at Traditional Authority Dambe in the district to fully utilize the 12-hectare facility to address food insecurity and improve household income.

Lomoni made the call on Wednesday during a partial handover of the irrigation scheme, constructed under Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP), saying that farming using irrigation system was the most viable solution to address recurring food shortages in the district.

“Use this scheme to scale up crop production as we enter irrigation farming season. I also encourage you to conduct trials and research to determine the most suitable crops for this land so you can maximize productivity and profits,” he added.

Lomoni said Mwanza District Council, through a network of agricultural extension workers, will provide training and technical support to ensure that farmers manage the scheme efficiently and sustainably.

He therefore cautioned community members against vandalism and theft of the scheme property, saying vandalism and theft would undermine farmers’ efforts to attain food sustainable irrigation farming.

Group Village Head Tsenjerani hailed the introduction of the scheme, saying the scheme is a game-changer for her community, which previously struggled to irrigate 2 hectares of land.

“This scheme will transform our lives. We can now engage in commercial farming, increase our crop yields and earn more income.

“This will enhance food security and improve livelihoods in our area,” said Group Village Head Tsenjerani.

Meanwhile, Irrigation Engineer Sangwani Mfune from L. Gravam Consulting Services, the firm supervising the project, reported that construction is nearly complete.

“We are now in a 12-month defect liability period (DLP), during which the contractor will correct any faults that may emerge. However, the contractor will not be liable for theft or deliberate damage as it is the community’s duty to protect this valuable asset,” he explained.

Mfune therefore, urged the Water Users Association (WUA) to take full responsibility for managing and maintaining the infrastructure.

Chairperson of the Tsenjerani Irrigation Scheme, Stella Edwin, expressed gratitude to MWASIP, expressing hope that reliable water supply will boost agricultural productivity.

“In the past, water scarcity hindered farming. Only a few of us could manage to produce anything meaningful, with this scheme, we will redouble our efforts,” she said.

The scheme’s chairperson added that 120 farmers composed of 54 women, 46 men, and 20 youths have already registered to begin farming under the scheme.

 Tsenjerani irrigation scheme has been constructed to the tune of MK458,676.675.57 by UNIK Construction Engineering Limited.