PEOPLES PARTY ON IRRIGATION The PEOPLE’S PARTY recognizes that Malawi’s agricultural production is hampered by the excessive overdependence on rain-fed system. Efforts to diversify away from rain-fed agriculture date back to independence fifty years ago but very little has been achieved. It is estimated that less than one percent of agricultural land is under irrigation yet Malawi is richly blessed with abundance of fresh water. In the next five years, the PEOPLE’S PARTY Government will: • Expand the Green Belt Initiative by increasing area under irrigation from the current one to at least 20% of agricultural land; targeting: ➢ 40,000 hectares in the Lower Shire; ➢ 100,000 hectares in Salima; ➢ Many irrigation schemes in Karonga, Nkhata-Bay, Dedza, Mangochi and • Initiate and mobilise water harvesting on rivers and wetlands in order to promote winter cropping; • Promote new irrigation technologies that are cost effective and appropriate to the needs of the Malawian farmers with particular focus on mechanization; and • Seek to learn through South to South cooperation initiatives on irrigation, particularly from the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) countries.
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 04:38:35 +0000
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