MNT Encourages Farmers to Adopt Live Barns (Dzigafa za Moyo) for Sustainable Tobacco Farming
The Media Network on Tobacco (MNT) is urging farmers to embrace the use of Live Barns, locally known as dzigafa za moyo, as they prepare for the upcoming tobacco plucking season. This move is part of a broader strategy to help farmers mitigate the impacts of climate change while ensuring sustainable farming practices.
In a press statement, MNT President Alfred Chauwa emphasized the importance of adopting dzigafa za moyo to help reduce the environmental shocks brought about by erratic weather patterns. “We are also urging tobacco farmers to plant more trees to replenish those lost during farming. Trees are vital to our environment, providing oxygen, clean air, food, medicine, and crucial habitats for wildlife,” said Chauwa.
The MNT highlighted the alarming rate of deforestation associated with tobacco farming, attributing approximately 26 percent of the country’s land deforestation to the tobacco industry—one of the highest rates in the world. As such, MNT is calling for immediate reforestation efforts to reverse this trend and protect the nation’s natural resources.
“Tobacco remains a major foreign exchange earner for Malawi, but we must ensure that its production does not come at the expense of our environment,” Chauwa said. “The preservation and protection of trees is crucial for the health of our soils, the prevention of erosion, and the safeguarding of biodiversity for future generations.”
MNT is advocating for a balance between maintaining the tobacco industry’s contribution to the economy and adopting eco-friendly practices that will protect the environment for the benefit of all Malawians. By incorporating sustainable farming techniques like dzigafa za moyo and promoting reforestation, the network believes Malawi can secure both its agricultural future and its natural heritage.
