By Andrew Phiri:
Expectations are high that some 28,000 farming households in Balaka will begin to harvest more following the Climate Smart Public Works Programme (CS-PWP) which is said to have enhanced land fertility restoration.
This follows a media tour organised in 20 catchment areas targeted in the programme by Balaka District Council.
One of the farmers from Kumtumbwe catchment area in TA Kachenga, Frank Zagwa, said the initiative has enabled farmers to adopt modern farming practices.
“Before this programme, I was failing to harvest more yields because my land is on a steep slope, all the rain water could just pass down to the stream,” said Zagwa.
Chairperson for Dzalimwe Catchment Management Committee (CMC) in TA Nkaya, Alinafe Dingaliro, said through collective effort, farmers are able to conserve forests and restore fertility in their fields.
“Apart from farmers constructing swales, check dams, stone bands in their fields and restoring the forests, they also get K38, 000 per cycle under this programme as part of motivating them to embrace the programme’s values,” Dingaliro said.
Balaka District Council Director of Planning and Development, Chris Nawata, said the initiative is aimed at empowering communities in the district to embrace climate resilience and modern farming practices considering the dry spells that occur in the district.
“Currently we have just finished the second cycle of this programme and we have witnessed high level of ownership among the communities,” Nawata said.
In Balaka, CS-PWP was implemented in 2021 by the Government of Malawi with funding from World Bank.
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