Government defends Mmbelwa mega farm project amid local pushback

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Mmbelwa Mega Farm initiative

The Malawi government has firmly defended its Mmbelwa Mega Farm initiative, located at the Mmbelwa Farm Institute in Mzimba, following significant concerns raised by local chiefs and community leaders. 

The project, which aims to provide modern farming training to the youth in the region, has sparked fears that it could lead to the loss of agricultural land for local residents.

GVH Kamangadazi Soko, a local chief and member of the Mzimba Heritage Association (MZIHA), voiced his concerns, stressing that the local community should have been consulted before the project was launched. 

Soko expressed worries that the establishment of the mega farm would leave his people without access to land for their own farming activities, which are vital to their livelihood.

In response to these concerns, Alfred Mwenifumbo, Director of the Mega Farm Unit, dismissed the claims made by local leaders, reiterating that the Mmbelwa Farm Institute is built on state-owned land. 

He emphasized that, as government property, the land is not under the control of individual chiefs and, therefore, there is no need for consultation with the community regarding its use. “The land belongs to the state; we don’t need to consult others about the use of land that is rightfully ours,” Mwenifumbo asserted.

The Mmbelwa Mega Farm initiative is designed to provide agricultural training for about 60 young people from the district, focusing on modern irrigation techniques supported by a nearby dam. 

The government has highlighted that the project is intended to equip the youth with valuable farming skills and open new economic opportunities in the region.

However, leaders from the Ngoni community, along with representatives from MZIHA, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of community consultation before the project was launched. On Monday, key figures like Dan Msowoya and Kingsley Jere met with traditional leaders to urge the government to pause the project until meaningful dialogue with the community takes place.

Despite the local concerns, the government remains steadfast in its support for the Mmbelwa Mega Farm initiative. 

Officials continue to assert that the land belongs to the state and question the necessity of further consultation, maintaining that the project is in the best interest of the district’s youth and the broader agricultural sector.