Field Day Showcases High-Quality Seeds for Malawi Farmers
Obedience Mteza, chair for lead farmers at Mulinga Cluster, said despite dry spells, they managed better yields than those using ordinary farming methods.
ZOMBA, Malawi — To stimulate farmer interest in purchasing certified seeds, the Titukulane Project partnered with Seed Co company to conduct a field day showcasing different seed varieties at their demo plots in Mulinga Cluster, Traditional Authority M'biza, Zomba District, writes Peter Davieson.
On Friday, 281 farmers gathered to appreciate the better seeds from Seed Co company suitable for their communities.
"We want our farmers to have quality, affordable seed because our project is phasing out, so we don't want to leave smallholder farmers stranded," said Magdalene Chiponde, agriculture manager for the Titukulane Project.
"As you can see, these seeds from Seed Co are drought and disease-resistant, so Seed Co is one of the trusted seed companies in Malawi."
Benson Banda, Seed Co's regional manager for the Eastern region, emphasized the importance of using hybrid seeds during unpredictable rainfall patterns.
"We are encouraging them to use hybrid seeds such as Njobvu, Kalulu, Mbidzi, Kanyani among others to achieve bumper yields," Banda said.
"We thought it wise to partner with the Titukulane Project because our aims are the same – to uplift people's lives through farming."
Leonard Manyungwa, an agriculture officer for the Zomba District Agriculture Office, said the government promotes demonstrations to transfer technology to farmers.
"We are encouraging farmers to be in groups because in groups they have more power, can negotiate prices, and easily access farm inputs, unlike those working alone," Manyungwa said.
He urged farmers not to sell their little produce but concentrate on having enough for their households, and practice good post-harvest handling techniques.
Obedience Mteza, chair for lead farmers at Mulinga Cluster, said despite dry spells, they managed better yields than those using ordinary farming methods.