Twelve hectares Nanyanga Solar Powered Irrigation Scheme at Senior Chief Malemia in Zomba is expected to improve the food situation among 120 small-scale farmers after the Transformation of Agriculture through Building Resilience and Harnessing Green Opportunity (TARGO) project worthy K358 million kwacha came into the response to address food deficit in the area.
The Nanyanga Solar Power Irrigation scheme and installation of solar lights in markets were done with funding by the Japanese government under the Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB,) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Malawi Government.
During the media tour of the irrigation scheme, an official from the irrigation sector at Zomba District Council, Edward Chinkhata hailed the UNDP for funding the irrigation scheme which he said will help small-scale irrigation farmers at Village headman Mkaju to improve food security and household economy.
He therefore advised farmers to make good use of the solar-powered irrigation scheme so that it should operate for many years for generations to come.
“This scheme is useful for people at Senior Chief Malemia especially those from village headman Mkaju. The farmers will improve food security if the scheme is put to good use,” Chinkhata added.
Village headman Mkaju also thanked UNDP for providing funds and technical expertise for the construction Irrigation scheme and further hailed the Zomba District Council for supervising the implementation of the project until completion.
The Village headman also advised farmers and the community around the scheme to take good care of the agricultural facility to sustain their livelihood.
The media was also taken around to appreciate the solar-powered lights at Songani and Bimbi, market centres where the UNDP-funded project installed the lights to allow vendors to operate in the evenings.
Assistant Trade Officer at Zomba District Council, Mphatso Chokani also hailed the UNDP for funding the project that installed lights in market centres for a conducive trade environment.
Chokani said that vendors complained of an unfavourable trade environment before the installation of solar-powered ligmarketersets centres.
Bimbi Market Chairperson, Fanuel Yesuf said the installation of floodlights at the marketplace was a positive development of great economic benefit to the vendors.
