By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, June 23, Mana:  Director of Agriculture Services for Kasungu, Evelyn Chima, says climate change is hindering efforts to make the district realise its potential as one of the country’s agricultural hub.

She was speaking in an interview at the end of a three-day review meeting for Kasungu District Agriculture Extension Coordinating Committee (DAECC) in Mzimba on Saturday. 

“Kasungu is an agriculture district but its potential is affected by various factors, among them being climate change which has affected crop production and threatened food security at household level.

“Together with all stakeholders in the natural resources conservation and  agricultural, we are joining our efforts to support our farmers with appropriate extension services and technologies so that they can still produce more and remain food secure in the face of unfriendly climatic patterns,” Chima said.

She said the meeting provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss challenges and successes in promoting agriculture for the benefit of farmers in the district which experienced pockets of dry spells and cyclones last growing season.

“Going forward, all we need is to work in collaboration and help the farmers on how they can cope with climate change because that is the major challenge for us,” she said.

DAECC Vice Chairperson, Miriam Zeka, described the meeting as a productive gathering where different organisations provided their input regarding various interventions that they are implementing including conservation and climate smart agriculture.

“It has been an amazing experience and we are looking forward to implementing some of the things we discussed.

“Our main aim was to review different projects that are being implemented in Kasungu District by both government and partners, appreciating the challenges they are facing and the next steps they are going to take moving forward,” Zeka said.

She also noted that climate change has been a challenging subject for the district in that it has affected the achievement of food security.

“We are putting a lot of effort training farmers in practices that can help improve their yield, promoting the adoption of varieties that are resistant to climate extremes so that we achieve economic, food and nutrition security for households,” she said.

The meeting, which reviewed the district's agricultural performance over the past year, stressed the importance of conservation and climate-smart agricultural practices to achieve food and income security which are crucial for the district's development.