For over four decades of its operations in Malawi, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has invested over 450 million United States Dollars towards improving lives of rural Malawians.
Country Director, Ms. Bernadette Mukonyora, however promises more resources. “These resources have impacted greatly on Malawians through interventions like the construction or irrigation schemes, market linkages, value chains and many others. We are committed to see more resources invested into various development projects targeting the rural masses,” said Mukonyora.
She was speaking in Salima during an IFAD-Funded Investent Portfolio meeting which brought together staff from the four projects namely: Programme for Rural Irrigation Development (PRIDE), Financial Access to Rural Markets and Smallholders and Enterprises (FARMSE), Transforming Agriculture Through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) and Sustainable Agriculture Production Project (SAPP).
The meeting was also attended by Minister of Finance, Honourable Simplex Chithyola Banda, Minister of Agriculture Honourable Sam Kawale, deputy minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Honourable Dr. Owen Chomanika and Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr. Janet Banda, SC.
Ms. Mukonyora commended implementing units of the four projects for their dedication to work, a development which has enabled IFAD to successfully register commendable impact on the lives of rural Malawians.
In their remarks, the cabinet ministers thanked IFAD for the huge investments and pledged more support from government advising the United Nations agency to target its support towards areas that will bring out huge and sustainable impact.
“Don’t just implement interventions anyhow. Make sure you implement in areas that will bring more positive results to the people especially in rural areas,” said Hon. Chithyola Banda.
Concurring with the Finance Minister, Hon. Kawale said through PRIDE and SAPP, IFAD is contributing a lot to the resilience of rural farmers through the huge investments in irrigation and modern farming technologies that farmers are being introduced to.
During the meeting, project staff shared common areas of interventions, opportunities, challenges and how such challenges could be collectively dealt with. It also provided an opportunity for peer-mentoring as experts in these projects shared notes in their interactions.