Chikwawa farmers set to be provided with water for irrigation from a mega canal by September this year
Chikwawa District farmers that are closer to the intake of the Shire Valley Transformation Programme (STVP) mega irrigation canal are set to be provided with water for irrigation by September this year.
The assurance comes after Parliamentary Budget & Finance Committee and Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale visited the construction site in Chikwawa on Thursday and Friday, respectively to assess its progress of Phase 1.
The Members of Parliament were first taken on a tour of the site at Kapichira Dam where construction a redesigned water intake will take place, whose initial investment all got washed away due to flooding of the Shire River from the effects of Cyclone Ana in 2022.
Thus it was redesigned to be resilient to climate change and other forces as was the case two years ago and at the site, Project Coordinator Dr. Stanley Khaila appraised the Parliamentary Committee — led by its chairperson, MP for Nsanje Lalanje, Gladys Ganda — that Phase 1 is at 63% complete and sets a deadline of May 2025.
But before that, the beneficiary communities that are close to the canal’s first phase from the intake will have water flowing into their fields once the secondary pipelines are completed while contractor, Synohydro continues with its 52km stretch of canal construction.
There are two contractors on site, Condril for the construction of the intake and 6km stretch of the canal passing through Majete Game Reserve and Synohydro for the 50km distance to Lengwe National Park.
The mega canal, touted as the biggest irrigation project in sub-Saharan Africa, is 118km long up to Bangula in Nsanje District and once completed, it will provide water for irrigation to over 22,280 hectares.
Khaila, alongside contractor Condril, assured the Budget & Finance Committee that the first part of the intake and 6km is at 95% complete with the full focus on the intake, whose designs are being concluded in consultation with stakeholder, Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO), whom the STVP share the Kapichira Dam.
Khaila thus assured the Committee, which scrutinizes project budgets for approval in the august House, that 13 pieces of land (1,500 hectares) closer to the Phase 1 have already been surveyed and adjudicated and that all agricultural cooperatives have been registered as commercial entities.
The farmers were trained in formulating business plans while the programme itself is identifying investor off-takers for produce processing as value addition.
Khaila further announced that SVTP is also engaging management of rail transport from Nsanje to Limbe that the rail shall play a huge role in transportation of the agricultural produce from the Lower Shire for value addition as cost cutting measures.
The Parliamentary Committee then visited Mwanaalirenji Cooperative in the area of Traditional Authority Kasisi where its leadership attested that they had been soundly trained in all aspects of agricultural commercialisation.
The cooperative, on a 845 hectares of land, has a membership of 791 farmers with a majority being women and that in their research they opted to be growing soya beans, cotton, chili and maize, whose market has already been identified to be used as collateral for their contribution towards the financial grant they shall receive through the programme.
Their budget is estimated at K14 billion of which K10 billion shall be the grant through the World Bank, funders of the programme, and K4 billion being from the farmers — which each is personally contributing with the rest to be gotten through soft loans from stakeholder financiers.
The Committee’s chairperson, Ganda delivered a motivational speech to the farmers, encouraging them that what they are pioneering is set to make the country to sustain its food reserve while at the same time to export more to other countries and earn the much-needed forex.
She impressed on them that Malawi is predominantly an importing country yet it has potential to be exporting through agriculture — thus the government initiated the STVP for the Lower Shire to become one of the country’s food basket and source of produce exportation to other parts of the world.
“You have set out on a journey in which you are pioneers of a bigger picture of food sustainance as well as towards your personal economic well-being,” she said. “Be assured that as the committee that scrutinises the country’s budget and its financial management, we will continue to support this programme up until you will be self-sustaining.”
And in an interface with the media, Ganda took cognizance that indeed the STVP is a “commendable project” and is in line with President Lazarus Chakwera’s ATM Strategy of agriculture, tourism and mining as part of the MW2063 national vision of ‘An Inclusively Wealthy and Self-Reliant Nation’ under the pillar of Agricultural Productivity and Commercialisation.
Meanwhile, after his visit on Friday — which is his follow up following the passing of the National Budget that was recently passed in Parliament and includes funds allocation to the STVP — Agriculture Minister, Kawale said he was excited that the contractor Condril “has made tremendous progress after delays due to effects of Cyclone Freddy”.
“The resources for the successful completion of this programme are available in line with President Chakwera’s strategy on agricultural irrigation across the country to mitigate effects of drought and climate change.
“My Ministry has been assured that the deadline of September to start supplying water to the beneficiary farmers will be met,” he said, after he had also visited Kambadwe Cooperative in T/A Kasisi area.
The cooperative’s 250 hectares of land is earmarked to grow, for the commercial market crops, such as soya beans, sorghum, cotton, groundnuts as well as maize for their domestic use.
Kawale also motivated the farmers that they should own the SVTP as it is enormous money earner since irrigation farming gives them the opportunity grow cash crops all year round.
“I am greatly encouraged that you have positively embraced the Shire Valley Transformation Programme and that enthusiasm should continue as you wait for the water to start flowing soon.
“Be assured of your lives economic transformation through this programme, which the government rolled out for you because this is not for the government — but for all of you and the generations to come.”
He implored on them not to be discouraged by negative minds, stressing that those who have not joined this agri-business shall change their minds once they shall witness Kambadwe Cooperative members’ economic transformation.
In the National Budget, the agriculture sector with its irrigation development allocated a total of K497.75 billion, representing 8.3% of the total budget.
In his presentation in February, Minister of Finance & Economic Affairs Simpkex Chithyola Banda highlighted that some of the key projects that the Government is implementing within the agriculture sector include Agricultural Commercialisation (AGCOM) project with an allocation of K92.56 billion.
The STVP was provided with K60.6 billion; programme for rural irrigation development (PRIDE) at K26.06 billion and transforming agricultural production and Transformation & Entrepreneurship (TRADE) at K25.32 billion.
Also considered is agricultural infrastructure & youth in agribusiness project with a provision of K4 billion; promotion of mechanised farm operations through hiring centres in Malawi with a provision of K500 million, whose machinery production is being implemented by the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS).
The Minister emphasised that agricultural production is not possible in the absence of potential markets — thus the Government negotiated with the Peoples’ Republic of China on shelled groundnuts and soybean exports.
“Production of groundnuts and soybeans for export to the Peoples’ Republic of China commences this production season under the mega farm initiative,” he told the House.
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