Inadequate extension services affect agriculture sector

The National Association of Smallholder Farmers (Nasfam ) has said the shortage of quality extension services among smallholder farmers is affecting agricultural production in the country.

Speaking at a Media Dialogue Meeting in Lilongwe on Friday, Nasfam chief executive officer Dyborn Chibonga said the extension worker to farmer ratio is increasing every year.

“With 3 500 000 farming families, the current ratio of extension officers to farmers is over one to 1 800 because, apart from population growth, most sections in the government extension system are vacant, which makes farmers fail to access the extension services.

“There is lack of harmonised extension messages which has led to a lot of confusion among farmers who, in the process, have been weakened and are unable to get the latest technologies,” he said.

He said an analysis shows that the challenges have affected productivity by smallholder farmers such that most producers are only harvesting a fraction of the potential for almost all crops grown in Malawi.

Department of Agricultural Research and Extension Services coordinator Stella Kamkwamba admitted the country is facing a shortage of extension workers.

“The need is great especially in remotest areas. For instance, there are over a thousand houses belonging to extension workers which need to be renovated. This makes most workers to live three or more kilometres from the areas they work,” said Kamkwamba.

She said government is addressing some of the problems hence, asked donors to support government.