Africa-Press – Malawi. Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (Agra), a regional body championing the transformation of Africa’s smallholder farmers, has urged industry players to embrace technology as a way of revitalising the sector.
Agra Regional Head for Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, Dyborn Chibonga, has since called on smallholder farmers in the country to plant seeds that are disease-resistant to maximise production and profits.
He says crops like groundnuts remain prone to various pests and diseases, hence the need to embrace techniques to mitigate effects that might arise. He said this recently during a tree-planting exercise in Lilongwe.
“One of the challenges of growing groundnuts is that farmers use recycled seeds which are prone to various pests and diseases. And even when they produce the crops, there is a challenge of market, hence suppying farmers with improved seed and good agriculture practices,” he said.
Deputy Director for Land Resources Conservation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Gilbert Kanunda, said agricultural technologies were crucial to maximizing groundnuts production.
“We have climate change with us, which means that even our farming technologies need to confirm to the situation we are in. So one of such technologies is meant to assist our farmers produce in relatively small area taking into consideration that as the population is growing we still have the land,” he said
African Fertiliser and Agribusiness Partnership Malawi County Director Sheila Keino said, since 2018, through new technologies, living standard of the farmers in the area have improved.
“Over the years, we have seen the livelihood of farmers improve from income to productivity,” she said.
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