Chiefs in Mchinji have urged local farmers in the district to embrace the use of compost and organic manure in their farms if they are to achieve food security in their households.
Speaking on behalf of the chiefs during the agriculture field day on Thursday, Traditional Authority Mavwere said farmers in the district should stop relying on chemical fertilizers which he said are costly for small holder famers to purchase.
“Famers should not only rely on Farm Input Subsidy Program as it does not benefit everyone.
“Use of manure is seen to be a simple and cheaper way for a local farmer to harvest bumper yield, and that will be a way of achieving food security at a household level,” he said.
T.A. Mavwere appealed to agricultural key players in the district to continue implementing programs that would train the farmers on manure production.
Assistant District Director of Agriculture Development, David Gondwe said the agriculture office and nongovernmental organisations have programs advocating for the adoption of climate-smart agriculture.
Climate-smart agriculture includes the use of organic fertilizers through innovations like planting fertilizer trees and practicing conservation agriculture.
Gondwe said the agriculture office encourages use of organic manure, saying it is one way of mitigating the effects of climate change and improves food security.
“We have programs that look into that and currently farmers from some areas make manure on their farms.
“Manure is useful since it helps the soil to retain moisture and improves its fertility,” he said.
He then appealed to small holder farmers in the district to utilise organic manure.
This year’s district agriculture fair was conducted under the theme ‘Climate Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Food, Nutrition and Income Security’.
