Mutharika decries wasted irrigation land: Launches Malawi agriculture, irrigation policy
President Prof Peter Mutharika has bemoaned the country’s 300,000 hectares of unexploited land for irrigation farming which has adverse effects on the country’s economy and food security.
He made the disclosure at Bingu International Convention Centre, Wednesday, where he presided over the official launch of the National Agricultural Policy (NAP) which was launched concurrently with the National Irrigation Policy (NIP).
According to Mutharika; “This country can irrigate up to about 408,000 hectares of which we have only developed 108,000 hectares for irrigation which reflects only 26 per cent of our exploited irrigation potential.
“The question is: why? We needed a comprehensive policy for irrigation. We needed to invest in irrigation.”
The President hailed irrigation policy saying would address spatial and temporal water shortages and deal with customary land issues that affect irrigation.
He said the policy would deal with the operation and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure.
Mutharika has since hailed the joint launch of the two policies as a revolution in Malawi’s agriculture, a u-turn which he said every Malawian farmer should embrace.
Speaking on behalf of Malawi’s development partners, United States Ambassador to Malawi, Virginia Palmer hailed Malawi for the recently passed land Bills to which she referred as a huge step towards the country’s agricultural development.
She appreciated the policies as key to breaking the cycle of the country’s food insecurity, and assured continued support from the development partners in the implementation of the policies.
Chief Executive Officer for Farmers Union of Malawi, Prince Kapondamganga challenged government and respective players on the policies to ensure practical translation of the policies while urging Government and relevant stakeholders to keep pushing for key pro-development policies.
‘Development partners’??? What you mean is the US foots the bill, again, and Malawi’s rural communities will see little benefit because the funds will have been diverted elsewhere! When will Malawians choose MPs who WANT to benefit the country, its people, and not just their own families?
Launch! launch! and launch! but with no sustainable action. What a pity!
Nonsense! How many times have independent and objective agriculture experts called upon government to intensify the investment in irrigation agriculture? How many times have you rejected the advice to tri government’s expenditure on FISP and re-channel such resources towards irrigation farming? Lero uziti you are “decrying the lost opportunities” – zoona? Mxiiii chi president ichi pano chapika polemetsa bwanji!
full of talk but no action mbuzi
Despite not going through the policy, I hope the have considered Environmental Impacts of the project. Irrigation projects are good for the economy but we need precise planning, with the already reduced water levels in Lake Malawi adding huge irrigation schemes will mean less electricity, over use of ground water aquafers can result in land subsidence, the best option for Malawi climate to invest in Water Haversting by construction of Dam,
True- water harvesting every village- every house- lets have a lot of jojos and subsidize the cost of owning jojo
Mr. President, I appreciate that you have almost lived full of your life in diaspora.
You have lived in very civilized democracies. Why then can you not defy the odds and salute the leader of the opposition Dr Lazarus Chakwera who was also present and was using the government vehicle.
You mean if you have saluted him he would have taken your position.
Sometimes we leaders must move with time.
Congratulations Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development! Best wishes as you implement the two policies to transform the agriculture sector and break the cycle.