Chiradzulu Women Impress DAPP
Chiradzulu Women Farmers Clubs have impressed Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Malawi for effectively applying climate smart agricultural practices through potholing and agro-0forestry in its on-going integrated value chain enhancement project called Going Nuts.
Speaking when he visited Chipangano, Talandila and Tiyese Women Farmers clubs on 28th of March 2018 in Chiradzulu district, DAPP Malawi Assistant Partnership Manager Enock Jumah said he was impressed to see that farmers are planting crops in potholes to preserve water for moisture, planting groundnuts in ridges and double rows, planting glycediaserpiam trees in farming fields and using firewood saving stoves to reduce the effects of climate change.
“We are impressed with what is on the ground, it shows that the farmers are putting to practice the skills they acquire through our farming instructors,” he said.
The DAPP Going Nuts project is part of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) under the Dutch government whose idea is to contribute to social and economic empowerment by building the capacity of farmers to produce high quality crops and access competitive markets thereby increasing profitability.
The project is working with 2400 small scale women farmers in Traditional Authority Ntchema and Sub Traditional Authority Sandrackin Chiradzulu district to increase their income through production of groundnuts as cash crop and linking them to produce markets.
The farmers were organized in 48clubs of 50 members through which they are trained in conservation agriculture, crop diversification, agroforestry, use of firewood saving stoves and promotion of hygiene and sanitation in their households.
The project’s Leader Eric Mukhuna said the farmers have benefited project since they have been linked to Afri-oil a company which buys groundnuts for oil production. .
One of the farmers from Talandira Club Alice Thomas emphasized that even when the project phases out they will continue cultivating groundnuts because they have an available market with Afri Oil.
The DAPP Chiradzulu Women Farmers Club project is a three year project which started in 2015 with support from Sympany of Holland.
