Ntchisi registers increased yield

Ntchisi District has registered an increase in yields in most of the major crops during the 2018/19 growing season, Malawi News Agency (Mana) has established.

According to the 2018/19 third round Agriculture Production Estimate Survey, maize harvest has risen from 128 298 metric tonnes (MT) last year to 141 463MT this year, representing a nine percent increase.

The survey also shows an increase in burley tobacco production from 5.6 million kilogrammes (kg) to 6.1 million kg while flue cured tobacco production increased from 1 million kgs last growing season to 1.1 million kg this year, representing a seven percent increase.

The district has also registered increased yields in legumes. The report shows that groundnuts yield rose from 12 590MT in last growing season to 13 350MT during the 2018/19 growing season, representing a 12 percent increase.

“Soya bean yield increased by 13 percent, from 26 580 MT during the 2017/18 growing season to 31 710MT during the 2018/2019 growing season,” reads the report in part.

However, yields for horticultural crops such as tomatoes, cabbages, onions and leafy vegetables remained static.

Ntchisi acting district agriculture development officer Siliro Nkhukuzalira Magomero attributed the increased agricultural output to among other things, higher uptake of fertilisers by farmers, good agricultural extension services as well as favourable weather in most parts of the district. “Higher uptake of fertilisers came about because of, among other things, increased number of beneficiaries under the Farm Input Subsidy Programme,” he said