Farmers in Kasungu have been urged to plant high-yielding and early-maturing crops to guard against possible dry spells associated with El Niño this farming season.
Kasungu Agriculture Development Division (ADD) Deputy Programme Manager Winston Sataya said this during the Kasungu District Agricultural Fair held in the area of Senior Chief Kaomba
He said farmers should consider crop varieties that are tolerant to El Niño conditions as well as those that mature early.
Sataya said the adoption of high-yielding and early-maturing varieties will help farmers prepare for possible dry spells during the season.
He also urged farmers to make use of agricultural extension services to ensure that the expected El Niño conditions do not have a major impact on their farming activities.
District Agriculture Extension Coordinating Committee (DAECC) event organising chairperson Simplex Chingota said the exhibition provides an opportunity to disseminate agricultural extension messages to farmers and help them understand the practices they should adopt this farming season.
On market linkages, Chingota said the exhibition had brought together potential buyers and other key stakeholders to help farmers access markets for their produce.
He said the initiative is aimed at reducing farmers’ dependence on middlemen, who he said sometimes buy produce from farmers at low prices and resell it at higher prices.
“Farmers have been failing to link with different stakeholders and markets where they can sell their produce,” Chingota said.
He said potential buyers, including the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) and the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM), were among stakeholders taking part in the fair.
Chingota said the fair was also providing an opportunity for farmers, agricultural input suppliers, and other stakeholders to interact as the farming season begins.
One of the farmers at the exhibition, Joyce Duwe, welcomed the advice, saying it had come at the right time.
She appealed to agricultural extension workers to continue reaching out to farmers with information to help improve their farming activities.
Kasungu District Council chairperson Nephthali Chikwanda, who was also the guest of honour, also urged farmers and stakeholders to take part in efforts to improve agriculture in the district.
Speaking when he officially opened the agricultural exhibition, Chikwanda commended the organisers, saying the event would help farmers choose appropriate crops and farming practices based on the expected weather conditions.
This year’s agricultural exhibition is being held under the theme “Promoting agriculture through modern technology and access to markets.”
The exhibition started on Thursday, September 17, 2026, and is expected to end on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Farmers and various agriculture-related companies are displaying and selling products, including different types of fertiliser and seed varieties.
