By Kondwani Kenneth and Doreen Mkomera Banda
Farmers in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kunthembwe in Blantyre have hailed Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for equipping them with new farming technologies to increase crop productivity amidst climate change.
One of the farmers, Isaac Sipoko from Kwama FFS, said, “We were very curious and eager to learn new ways to improve our harvest because, looking from what we are coming from, we never harvested adequately from a half-acre plot because we were using traditional methods of farming.”
“For instance, the last harvest we had before enrolling into the FFS, were three bags of fifty kilograms of maize only, but now, things have changed completely, because from the same plot, we are able to harvest enough food for consumption and commercial purposes,”
He noted a notable improvement from his skills on improved farming. He then described FFS as a beacon of hope to the current and future generations.
Another beneficiary from the same area, Magret Lucias, said she is now well-versed with sustainable land management, which comprises manure making and application, marker ridge construction, swale construction, ridge realignment, box ridges, Conservation Agriculture and other good agricultural practices.
“Theoretical knowledge was complemented by practical demonstrations in the field, which provided me with invaluable insights into the benefits of adopting these modern technologies in agricultural production. Today, I harvest bumper yields than before from the three plots I normally cultivate maize and soybeans,” she said.
She then pledged to continue practicing modern methods of farming and also encourage others to do the same in order to realize much-needed yields from their fields.
Agriculture Extension Methodology Officer for Blantyre District Agriculture Office, Sylvester Kaufa, said it is pleasing that many farmers are employing the interventions from FFS as one way of increasing production, thereby achieving food security.
“So far, we have 33 FFS in the Kapichira catchment with 25 to 30 members each. These FFS are managed by both extension workers as well as community-based facilitators. Additionally, we have 10,000 follower farmers who have benefited from the interventions,” said Kaufa.
FFS is a component under the World Bank-funded Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP), designed to promote innovative agronomic practices, including integrated pest management, soil moisture conservation, agroforestry systems, sustainable land management, and savings and loans groups, among others.
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