Irrigation farmers to train in market skills

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR



Msulira-Banda making a speech after touring Manthimba in Thyolo



Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development Grenenger Msulira-Banda said Sunday that his ministry plans to start training irrigation farmers in business and marketing research skills to help crop producers find competitive markets for their products.

The development comes after irrigation farmers under Blantyre Irrigation Services Division (Bisd) had raised concern over poor prices for their produce, lack of transport to potential markets and high post-harvest losses to which they are often poorly equipped to identify potential solutions.

Speaking after touring Chileka, Chimwavi and Manthimba Irrigation Schemes, Msulira-Banda noted that “irrigation farmers badly need marketing skills, especially now that they are turning their energies towards economic empowerment after achieving food security at household level”.

“Elsewhere I go to visit irrigation schemes; farmers have complained that marketing of their products is their major problem. We can’t agree more since most farmers grow maize on their irrigation farms. Maize is no longer marketable nowadays since Malawi has achieved food security,” Banda explained.

“Now we think we need to train them in marketing skills, new techniques and new ways of obtaining information on crops that are on demand on the market. This will help them draw calendars depending on ‘supply and demand’ of each crop,” he added.

Charles Mkwapatira: asked ministry to intervene

Earlier, in his appeal to the deputy minister, chairperson for Manthimba Irrigation Scheme, Charles Mkwapatira expressed concern over poor prices their products fetch on the market.

Mkwapatira further alleged that businesspersons are duping them by buying their crops at prices below their (farmers) invested capital.

“It’s very unfortunate that we even fail to recover what we invest in irrigation farming. Businesspersons from town are just duping us here. I am pleading with you to intervene,” he asked.

His Chileka counterpart, Edward Chiphala, said despite making strides in ensuring food security at household level, most irrigation farmers are now suffering from financial crises.

But BISD Chief Irrigation Officer Anderson Mbozi urged the farmers to take such matters with his office so that a common ground for solving some of the challenges farmers are facing can be created.

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