Minister of Agriculture Honourable Sam Dalitso Kawale, MP, says government is very committed to ensuring that the dream of mechanising agriculture is achieved.
To this end, Hon. Kawale says Government is partnering with various companies that provide modern farming machines to achieve this goal.
“This is what Malawians want to see and the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to work with our partners and anyone else interested in fulfilling the vision our President (Dr. Lazarus Chakwera) is championing in the agriculture sector,” said Kawale.
The minister was speaking during a demonstration of rice transplanter tractors by Mahindra Company at Mlooka irrigation scheme in Zomba district.
“We are committed to making agriculture a viable business proposition for our farmers. We will continue to work hard to ensure that our farmers have access to modern farming equipment and technology,” added Kawale.
The high-tech Mlooka irrigation scheme is one of the six schemes, that PRIDE has constructed with farmers preparing for their second round of production.
General Manager of Delta Automobile and Equipment Limited, distributors of Mahindra Tractors in Malawi, said the machines have the potential to increase harvests by 20 percent compared to manual methods.
Member of Parliament for Zomba Lisanjala where the scheme is situated, Honourable Willam Susuwele Banda, expressed optimism that the scheme would boost food security in his constituency.
“With the irrigation scheme, this area has been transformed. People have already realised bumper rice and maize yields,” said Susuwele Banda.
Five schemes namely – Mafinga and Marko in Chitipa, Lingoni in Machinga, Wowo in Phalombe and Matoponi in the same Zomba district – are some of the schemes that PRIDE, with funding from the Government of Malawi and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has constructed.
PRIDE is currently constructing three schemes, namely: Dowa-Dambo in Dowa, Mzenga in Nkhata Bay and Chipofya in Rumphi.