Kasungu farmers hail pit planting for boosting output

Farmers in Gogode Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kaomba in Kasungu District have commended pit planting method, saying it has boosted crop output in the area.

Through the method, farmers dig planting stations and fill them with compost manure or animal dung before the rains to add fertility in designated planting stations.

One of the lead farmers, Pitirizani Banda, said in an interview on Friday the dug stations conserve water, making the method appropriate, especially in the face of climate change.

“Since we started planting our maize using this method, our harvests have increased. We always receive insufficient rainfall, but through this way, crop stations hold water and keep the soils moisturised for a long time,” he said.

Banda said adding of manure before planting helps them to spend less on fertiliser as they only use Urea.

Kasungu District Agriculture Extension Committee chairperson Chisomo Mbembeza commended Find Your Feet (FYF), an organisation operating in the area, for imparting the method to farmers.

FYF, through District Agriculture Development Office, organised a field visit to showcase some of the activities it is implementing in the area through its project called Malawi-Mozambique Sustainable Agricultural with funding from the Norwegian Embassy.