Farmers commend agriculture programme
Farmers from Traditional Authority (T/A) Chimutu in Lilongwe have commended the Sustainable Agriculture Programme (SAP) for improving their livelihoods.
The farmers, who were trained in sustainable agriculture technologies such as livestock management, manure making and application and soil and water conservation, are now relying on themselves for farm inputs.
Speaking during a visit by a delegation from Norway, Verina Newa from Mlozi Village, who received two pigs through a pass-on programme in 2015, said her pigs have multiplied to 40.
“I recently sold 25 pigs and earned about K1.5 million, which I used to build better kraals, buy iron sheets to build a new house, buy agricultural inputs and pay school fees for my children. The pigs also provide manure,” she said.
Victor Katchika-Jere, country representative for the Development Fund of Norway, financiers of the project, agreed that farmers are now yielding more than they did before the inception of SAP and that they have more money. The leader of the Norwegian delegation, Anniken Huitfeldt, commended the adoption of climate smart agriculture, noting that climate change in agriculture production is a challenge everywhere.
