Malawi President Joyce Banda is on Monday inspecting crops and agriculture diversification projects in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre.
The State House Press Office said in a statement on Sunday, the President will conduct the tour at Undani Village, T/A Kapeni and at Chanika Village, T/A Makata under the Lunzu and Chipande agriculture extension planning areas (EPAs).
Reads the statement in part: “She [the President] will inspect groundnuts and sweet [potatoes] under the Presidential Initiative on Legumes, inspect maize TKC 8053 under Farm Input Subsidy Programme [Fisp]; At Chanika Village, T/A Makata—Chipande EPA, the President will inspect a farm using inorganic fertiliser under the Farm Input Subsidy Programme, inspect maize SC403, Kanyani, inspect farms using combination of manure for basal dressing and Urea for top dressing, inspect metallic silos; and inspect goat production under Presidential Initiative on Small Stock.”
The statement said the President is later scheduled to address a rally at Mudi Primary School ground.
The inspection of crops follows the footsteps of her predecessor, the late Bingu wa Mutharika who later aborted the idea.
The crop inspection tours revived memories among Malawians of founding president, the late Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda who, every agriculture season during his 30 years of one-party rule with his Malawi Congress Party, conducted such tours to encourage local smallholder farmers to work hard in the field.
