President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has challenged farmers in the country to adopt crop diversification as an intervention to deal away with perennial hunger in the country.
He was speaking at Mkaika Community Day Secondary School in Nkhotakota district on Monday after inspecting crops and interacting with farmers in the area of Traditional Authority Mwadzama.
The President visited eight fields of a variety of crops such as maize, groundnuts, cotton and soybeans in Kapichira, Chisamba and Kabzyanga villages. The villages are located in Mtosa and Zidyana extension planning areas (EPA).
The Malawi leader said he was charmed to see that farmers in Nkhotakota are growing a range of crops both for subsistence and commercial purposes. Besides the crops he inspected Nkhokakota is also renowned for rice and sugarcane farming with the later having a sugar processing factory in Dwangwa.
“Farmers in this district are realizing that natural disasters and drought should teach us to farm other crops for food and sale. When one crop fails then there is always another option to keep us going. This is what all farmers in the country should emulate,” said the President.
Still on diversification the President said his administration is sorting out all regulatory matters to standardize cannabis farming.
He called upon Ministry of Agriculture to expedite all outstanding issues in the realization of the cannabis industry.
On development, the President highlighted that his administration is constructing the lakeshore road, commonly known as M5, which passes through Nkhotakota district. He also promised to upgrade more feeder roads in the districts to ease movements of good and people.
He also said his government is serious about upgrading all lakeshore districts into cities that will be drive by tourism.
Commenting on concerns by locals that some investors in the district are depriving Malawians of jobs, the President issued a stern warning to those involved in the practice.
“Foreign investors must come here to complement government efforts in creating jobs and wealth for Malawians, not doing the opposite. This tendency should stop,” he said.
