Africa-Press – Malawi. A consortium of Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) under the banner of TRANSFORM/FOODMA will implement a-24 month project- Pigs for Sustainable Income for Smallholders (PISSIP) in Dowa district covering Nachisaka EPA targeting 25 pig farmers.
The project ‘’FOODMA’’ sustainable and resilient food system in Malawi will also take its shape in Kasungu at Lisasadzi EPA and Mzimba at Enguicwin EPA targeting the same number of pig farmers as in Dowa.
According to TRANSFORM/FOODMA, the average annual household income for rural farmers is low in its impact districts MK135000 per household per year saying households sell livestock to obtain a quick cash to purchase food and other household needs but livestock production is low, flock sizes are small and there is poor breeding, feeding and health care.
Presenting the project to the District Executive Committee (DEC) in Dowa, Lilongwe University for Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) Senior Lecturer Dr. Wilson Kaumbata, said the main objective of the project is to enhance smallholder’s household income and food security.
Dr. Kaumbata said the project has specific objectives including enhancing production and productivity of pigs, strengthening capacity on markets identifications and negotiation and increasing amount of manure produced and used per household per year.
He said a total of 25 initial pig farmers with own local pigs will be identified, each farmer to have 1-2 selected local male pigs and min of three female pigs (pure local males and pure local females) saying these will undergo selection for breeding.
The Senior Lecturer said the main activities of the project including construction or rehabilitation of standard pig houses, procurement and distribution of pig breeding stock, and facilitating training sessions to business management, among others.
“The project will strengthen farmer’s capacity in market identification and negotiable and animal health care (preventive measures and drug revolving fund),’’ said Dr. Kaumbata.
In her remarks, the outgoing Dowa District Council’s Director of Planning and Development Loveness Nkunika-Silungwe, asked new partners to be attending Dec meetings every months saying by virtue of their projects accepted to be implemented in the district, they are Dec members.
Nkunika –Silungwe urged partners to work hand in hand with the council to uplift the lives of the Dowa people and that the projects are being implemented in the interest of all in the district.
Pigs for Sustainable Income for Smallholders (PISSIP) project will be implemented in the three districts of the country, Mzimba, Kasungu and Dowa at a total budget of MK51 million which will be shared equally among the three districts.
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