Kawale (right) and others interacting with one of the researchers during the field day

LILONGWE, Malawi- Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale has underscored the need for farmers in Malawi to embrace new farming technologies to achieve food security and improved nutrition in the country, writes Moses Nyirenda.

Kawale made the remarks on Thursday after observing various technologies, such as soil identification techniques and liquid fertilizer application, during a field day at Chitedze Research Station in Lilongwe.

The event was organized as part of the station's 70th anniversary celebration.

"Some of the technologies being developed are helping to grow crops depending on the region or districts in this country," Kawale said.

"Therefore, we need to move away from growing the same crop across the country. It has proven that it does not work; we waste a lot of money and energy because people are growing things that do not benefit them."

The minister emphasized that the ministry will intensify efforts to disseminate information about the new technologies to farmers nationwide, aiming for widespread adoption by December 2024.

"It is our hope that by December this year, a lot of farmers in the country, both commercial and smallholder farmers, will embrace these new technologies so that we can start moving in the right direction as the country," Kawale stated.

Dr. Grace Kaudzu, Director of Agricultural Research Services at the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted Chitedze Research Station's role in introducing 600 farming technologies since its establishment in 1954.

"Our plan as a research station is to continue with the development of technologies that are responding to the changing climate," Kaudzu said.

"This year we have been negatively affected by El Niño weather, and some districts will not harvest enough. For us as researchers, we need to come up with technologies that respond to such kinds of disasters, and already we have technologies in the pipeline for our farmers to use to get the most out of their production."

The field day attracted officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Chitedze Research Station, and government donor partners, among others, showcasing the collaborative efforts to promote agricultural innovation and resilience in Malawi.

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