By Rennie Tembo

Lilongwe, April 6, Mana; Lilongwe District Agriculture Extension Coordinating Committee (DAECC) has urged farmers to practice crop diversification as one way of promoting food security, income and dealing away with the effects of climate change.

Speaking in Lilongwe on Friday during Agriculture Field Day, DAECC Chair representative, Akunsitu Kananji, said farmers need to practice crop diversion due to the effects of climate change that the world is experiencing.

“These days we experience erratic rains which result to drought. Sometimes we are affected by cyclones. So, we want farmers to stop relying on maize alone, as it hasn’t done well this year. However, there are some crops that are resilient and have done so well.

“We are encouraging farmers to consider planting different crops for them to still have food even if others fail; and they will be able to sell and sustain their families,” he said.

One of the farmers, Judith Nkwena, encouraged fellow farmers to put into practice what the Agriculture Field Assistants are teaching them so that they benefit from agricultural activities.

“This is very important to every farmer who takes farming as a business. If you have different crops, at the end of the season, one will be able to make a good amount of money hence improved livelihood,” she said

Lilongwe District Council Chair, Dan Mtayamanja, urged farmers to take agriculture field days seriously because it is where they can learn more on agriculture production and how their fellow farmers are doing in the fields for them to get bumper yield.

“As a Council, our number one goal we strive to achieve is food security. Let me take this opportunity to urge all farmers to stop rushing selling agriculture products to vendors. Let us stick to the prices that the government has released for us to benefit from our sweat,” he said.

This year’s agriculture field day was commemorated under the theme: “Diversified Agriculture, Good Agricultural Practices: A Resilient Strategy to Effects of climate change, To Achieve Food, Nutrition and Income Security.”