FBS casts ray of hope in Lilongwe

By George Kamanga
A new chapter of prosperity has been opened at Traditional Authority Tsabango in Lilongwe as farmers adopt new agribusiness skills acquired from the farmer business school (FBS) at Kan’goma. The school provides a wide range of skills and innovations that give farmers an upper hand to produce and market their farm produce. The skills include production, packaging and displaying of products to attract buyers. The school also places higher emphasis on farming as a business.
Benesi Chikutu who hails from Dzuwa Village in the area is one of the beneficiaries of the school and he walked tall after investing K43, 000 ( about $956) on cabbages and tomatoes through irrigation and he raised K223, 000 (about $4956). Mr Chikutu said in an interview that he had never had such a huge amount in profits ever since he started trading at Chiuzira Market.
 ADRA Malawi through the Action for Social Program launched the farmer business school in July 2013 and built the capacity 25 farmers,  of which 5 of them were women.

A proud Chikutu captured at his farm

From the money raised Mr Chikutu said he bought enough maize to take him through to the other harvesting season and had already paid school fees and farm inputs.
The Action for Social Change Program is being funded by Denmark to bring about individual and society change in Lilongwe, Mzimba, Machinga and Mulanje.

      

FBS formed in ASC program targeted districts

 By George Kamanga and Elias Banda
Seven farmers business schools (FBS) have been formed in Lilongwe, Mzimba, Machinga and Mulanje to enhance capacity of local farmers to produce quality crops through the use of conservation agriculture and other modern technologies.

Gift Mwnda ASC Lilongwe District Coordinator addresses FBS members at Dima irrigation site

The FBS concept was initiated by the Malawi Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food security to improve food security through quality crop production. ADRA Malawi is complementing government’s efforts by mobilising farmers into FBS.
In Lilongwe the FBS has been formed with members drawn from Chambala,Santhe, Tsabango, Chimono, Chingira, Mdondwe, Khundi and Dima group village communities. The school comprise 25 members of which 5 are women and it has special interest in soy and groundnuts.
 In Machinga, four FBS have been formed at Nanyumbu and Mbonachela with special interest in groundnuts, poultry and cotton. 

FBS members share ideas at Chambala demonstration site

In Mulanje a school has been formed at Chimwamezi in Traditional Authority Juma, comprising 22 members with special focus on pigeon pea. In Mzimba the school has been formed at Choma, focusing on soy and beans.

ADRA Malawi through the Action for Social Change Program (ASC),  is collaborating with government extension workers to ensure that the schools are strengthened and sustained. Skills acquired through FBS are expected to help small holder farmers to penetrate the wider market with quality and well packed products.
The ASC program is being supported by Denmark to bring about individual and society change in Machinga, Mulanje, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

Promotion of Irrigation farming to improve household food security

The 2007/2008 growing season has been another year of drought in most parts of the country. The season started with very heavy rains, that saw some parts of the country flooding and washing away some of the crops that were in the fields. This was immediately followed by a dry spell, at a time when most of the crops like maize had just started cobbing but had not yet reached maturity stage. As a result most of the staple crop dried up in the field such that the harvest for this year has been low, compared to last season.

To address this problem, the IHFS project is promoting winter cropping through irrigation for farmers who have access to water sources like rivers and dams. The project has distributed 50 treadle pumps to Village Support Groups (VSG). The treadle pumps are being used for both communal and individual gardens. Farmers have been trained in treadle pump use, soil and water conservation and irrigation farming. A recent monitoring trip to on of the project target areas in Lisungwi, Neneo District showed that farmers who are practicing irrigation farming have healthy crop and will have another round of harvest this year as a buffer against food shortages. The project intends to scale up irrigation farming and winter cropping but also include an element of agribusiness so that these farmers can generate income from the crop they produce, hence be able to access food through out the year.

Author: Thokozani Mwapasa