By Fostina Mkandawire
Salima, June 26, Mana: Greenbelt Authority has commenced dispatching 3,300 bags of maize to the country’s strategic grain reserves under National Food Reserve Agency in Lilongwe.
Speaking during an inspection exercise at Chikwawa irrigation scheme, in the area of Senior Chief Khombedza in Salima District, Chief Executive Officer for Greenbelt Authority, Eric Chidzungu said production of maize for national consumption in the country is very significant.
He said this is so because Malawi is agro based and consumption leads the way from the maize that is produced in the country.
“Whether maize is produced at household level or national level there is always a slight insufficiency of maize, therefore increasing national production to be given to national food reserve is a good strategy to attain food security,” he said.
Chidzungu revealed that Greenbelt plans to produce an extensive amount of maize even during winter cropping which will still be supplied to NFRA because the quantity being dispatched at the moment is still not enough.
“We want to invest heavily in irrigation infrastructure and to achieve this, we still need government’s and stakeholder`s support so that we can contribute to food safety and address food insufficiency,” he said.
Operations and Food Director for National Food Reserve Agency, Cosmas Perekani said NFRA and Greenbelt Authority entered into a partnership to let the maize produced in the area of Senior Chief Khombedza in Salima to go towards replenishing the country’s strategic grain reserves, saying they are expecting to reach a target of 120,000 metric tons of maize, and at the moment the response has been overwhelming.
“The partnership is beneficial to the country because rains were erratic therefore projections indicated that the country will experience food shortage and households will need cushioning especially during lean season,” Perekani said.
He therefore said NFRA is still welcoming expressions of interest from farmers who would like to venture into partnerships with the agency especially during winter cropping from a quantity of one tonne.
Senior Chief Khombedza in whose area the maize was produced said communities have benefitted from the maize production since its onset up to now, when the maize is being dispatched.
“People who were engaged as casual labourers, managed to buy farm inputs in the just ended rainy season and they are now food secure” He said.
