LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The region’s research body, Agricultural Production Program for Southern Africa (APPSA) on Monday disclosed that is ready with 17 technologies in the next three month aimed at improving production.
The regional project led by Malawi has for the past three years released three technologies including two on rice seed and irrigation technologies.
Malawi is leading in seven out of 22 research and development projects reaching out to 840,403 beneficiaries against a target of 1,200,00. Lead farmers constitute 6,260 (females).
In its three day annual review conference with the World Bank mission under way in the capital Lilongwe, Dr. Mackson Banda, APPSA Project coordinator lauded the successes the initiative has impacted on rural farmers with improved varieties for high production.
With the same ecological and rainfall pattern for the three countries namely Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi, Dr. Banda says the project has shared technologies coupled with messages and infrastructure development including laboratories among others.
He however lamented on the language usage in the three nations as only Portuguese is spoken in Mozambique which must be integrated in the project which ends 2020 from 2013.
“The project has managed to produce various technologies on rice and maize which among notable one is Yellow Maize variety which has vitamin A for sight improvement. This variety will be liked by many based on health aspect.
We anticipate releasing 17 technologies in the next three months to improve production. Each nation concentrates on its research including maize, rice and regumes in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia respectively. These technologies are shared for use,” says Dr. Banda.
Echoing on the same, Monica Murata of Center for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), a regional coordination body on research expressed gratitude on the project impact saying it was bearing fruits.
Murata emphasized the need for participating nation in the projects to invest must on effective research that will improve the rural farmers’ production amid effects of climate change.
With loan of US$29 million and US$1 million grants to each participating nations, the projects ends 2020 as Malawi leads on maize, rice by Mozambique and Zambia on legumes researches of various technologies.
