Govt urged to take irrigation seriously


Tamani Nkhono Mvula

Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) says the country will remain food insecure if Malawi government continues disregarding irrigation farming.

CISANET national coordinator, Tamani Nkhono-Mvula, said this when commenting on the prolonged dry spell that has hit the country.

Nkhono-Mvula described the overdependence on rains as unfortunate and said Malawi has good soil and water sources which can be used for irrigation farming.

Tamani Nkhono Mvula
Irrigation is the way out; Mvula.

According to Nkhono-Mvula, farmers in the country should be encouraged to consider irrigation farming to avoid food shortage.

The CISANET national coordinator revealed that recently the ministry of agriculture was given K50 billon for the agriculture subsidy programme but 80 percent of the money was allocated to rain-fed agriculture while the remaining 20 percent was for irrigation farming.

Nkhono-Mvula argued that more resources should be allocated to irrigation farming.

He said people in the country have the potential to use irrigation farming but more power should come from authorities.

34 thoughts on “Govt urged to take irrigation seriously

  1. We don’t have experts in this area. The locally trained irrigation engineers are too theory based. Im happy that after realizing this anomaly govt is still sending technicians from the best agricultural training institution namely luanar to Israel to deepen their knowledge. Only then

  2. BVUTO LOMWE LILIPO NDILAKUTI ULIMI WAMAKASU WOPANDA NAWO CHUMA SIUNGATUKULE DZIKO,MUWONE KUTI AKAPASIDWA MA COUPON IWO AMAGULISA KWA AMENE ALI NDINDALAMA,MAIKO AMBIRI OMWE TIKUMAGULAKO CHIMANGA KULI MA FARM AKULU Akulu azungu omwe amatulusa zithu zambiri,mu pite Ku RSA, Zambia,ngakhale Zimbabwe panopa akusowa chakudya kamba koti anathamangisa alimi akulu akulu omwe mvula ikabvuta amatha kuthirira chakudya ndikumapezekabe olo mvula itabvuta, kunoko tikanaitana alimi omwe angathe kuzasegula ma farm kuno, ndiye apatsidwe malo oti azilima zosiyana siyana, ena ku Dedza azikalima kachewere mwadongosolo, zitatelo njala izatha m’malawi muno

  3. Kodi mphunzitsi sadziwa masamu angaphunzitse masamuwo? Peter sadziwa kulima ndiye sangayambitse green belt initiative, ngakhale minister of agriculture ndi chiphwathalala cha munthu pamodzi ndi ministry yonse akungolandira zaulere.

  4. Kodi mphunzitsi sadziwa masamu angaphunzitse masamuwo? Peter sadziwa kulima ndiye sangayambitse green belt initiative, ngakhale minister of agriculture ndi chiphwathalala cha munthu pamodzi ndi ministry yonse akungolandira zaulere.

  5. With the increased effects of climate change, for the country to move forward,irrigation is the way. I agree with you @ Tamani Nkhono- Mvula.

  6. With the increased effects of climate change, for the country to move forward,irrigation is the way. I agree with you @ Tamani Nkhono- Mvula.

  7. Kodi mphunzitsi sadziwa masamu angaphunzitse masamuwo? Peter sadziwa kulima ndiye sangayambitse green belt initiative, ngakhale minister of agriculture ndi chiphwathalala cha munthu pamodzi ndi ministry yonse akungolandira zaulere.

  8. Kodi mphunzitsi sadziwa masamu angaphunzitse masamuwo? Peter sadziwa kulima ndiye sangayambitse green belt initiative, ngakhale minister of agriculture ndi chiphwathalala cha munthu pamodzi ndi ministry yonse akungolandira zaulere.

  9. May be we need to have a president who is an agriculturalist. These lawyers only think about money(how to get rich quickly). Our president is thinking that he is running a law firm.

  10. And i wonder with the prices of fertilizer now is getting high daily while citizens are suffering. This symbolise that we’ve poor leaders because they don’t have ways or solutions to the existing problem(HUNGER).

  11. The problem with our nation is that it’s not having strategic/long term plans. We dont hav a direction and vision. We are blessed with cultivable lands, fresh water, enogh rainful. What is lacking is government support onto smallholder farmers on farming inputs n infrastructure. If govt can help farmers with good n powerful farming machinery, having checks on all farming inputs imported into or manufactured in malawi, prepare n maintain farming lands for farmers n take part in proper marketing n export of farm produce to outside markets malawi can prosper. Look at what Lybia has managed to do without any single natural water body at hand.

    1. mukunena zoona wa akulu! Vuto timaganiza zothesa vuto vutolo litafika kale! Akulu ine chimanga changa chiku onongeka kamba kosowa mvula msinje ndiku uwona!! Pakanakhala kuti ndili ndi machine oti nditha ku koka mazi aaah sipakanakhala vuto! Boma likufunika likhale sileous pa nkhani ya ulimi kusiyana ndikumangokamba! Nkhanidi ndi yoti boma likhale ndi masomphenya komanso ifeyo alimi titengepo gawo lalikulu chifukwanso kumangoyembekeza kuti wina wake abwere azatithandize mmmmmh tizingogwirisidwa mwala wa moto

    2. Koma nzovuta kut aliense mlimi or olimbika bwanji apeze machine opopa mazi nkuthirira malo ooneka ndithu. Zidebe munthu sungazithembe nawo kuthirira, ukakolola mitengo ukagulise ndyochepa so ndalama zogulira machine nzovuta akulu. Koma vuto boma lathu limafuna business, sangaerekeze kupanga magulu othirira nkumawapasa zipangizo koma adikira tizunzike, tikakolora atibereko potigula motchipa nkukagulisa iwo modula kunja and potidula msonkho yokwera.

    3. Koma nzovuta kut aliense mlimi or olimbika bwanji apeze machine opopa mazi nkuthirira malo ooneka ndithu. Zidebe munthu sungazithembe nawo kuthirira, ukakolola mitengo ukagulise ndyochepa so ndalama zogulira machine nzovuta akulu. Koma vuto boma lathu limafuna business, sangaerekeze kupanga magulu othirira nkumawapasa zipangizo koma adikira tizunzike, tikakolora atibereko potigula motchipa nkukagulisa iwo modula kunja and potidula msonkho yokwera.

  12. We need people like mr Mvula to lead country with sharp mind, agriculture is da main source of our daily food in Malawi,bigup mr Mvula

  13. The word “IRRIGATION” is just a song in recent Malawi, Ask those veterans who were in Kamuzus Govt. He himself was the minister of agriculture. Why did he had a culture of visiting crops in Jan to feb, why did he established irrigation in Malawi he had a vision and even MYP bases they practiced irrigation he invited Taiwanese to charge of most irrigation schemes. Today what makes our recent leaders just to sit quiet no mentioning of irrigation all over Malawi. If we can eat mature green cooked and roasted maize in BTs it means someone was irrigating I hope our Govt has to learn a lesson from Kamuzus govt, things will never be the same.

  14. Thumb up Mr Nkhono~Mvula,l keep on asking myself to why ministry of agriculture doesnt consider much on irrigation farming yet we have alot of water in our country.What is so special with subsidy,we as Malawians,this issue to do with hunger would have been a story to us,anyway,ndi mmene amadyera!

  15. Irrigation yo mukutiuza kt tizikagwilisila ntcito ma water cane kapena ma pump mutipasa okwanila?? Komaso ngankhale mutati mubwelese ma pumpu awulimi ife anthu obvutikafe sitimaziona, mukutenga zinthu zija kukapasa anthu olemela mkale kt azikagwilisila ntcito mminda yawo ya fodya osati yacimanga. Ngt simusintha umphawi wanjala sunganthe mpaka Peter atacoka pa udindo.

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