Ntchisi residents learn to cook nutritious food

International Potato Centre (CIP) has trained health surveillance assistants (HSAs), community development assistants and agriculture extension officers in Ntchisi District on how to prepare nutritious food from tuber and root crops.

Speaking during the closing of the two-day workshop last week, CIP research technician Chifundo Banda said the training was aimed at increasing consumer awareness on the nutritional values that tuber and root crops have.

“We want to build capacity on the preparation of different kinds of foods from Irish potatoes,” he said.

Ntchisi District nutrition officer Pauline Chifika said the training was an eye-opener to the participants, saying it will promote nutritional values  and reduce malnutrition rate in the district which is rated at 39.9 percent.

One of the participants, Samuel Robert, from Kalumo Village in Traditional Authority Kalumo in the district, hailed the organisation for the training.

Root and Tuber Crops for Agricultural Transformation in Malawi is a five-year project which CIP is leading in implementation with funding from Irish Aid.