Minister of Agriculture Sam Dalitso Kawale says the multi-billion Kwacha Shire Valley Transformation Programme (SVTP) is going to stimulate the economic status of Chikwawa and Nsanje districts.
Kawale said this on Tuesday during his tour of the project in Chikwawa.
He said the project would enable farmers to grow crops more than once a year due to the availability of water for irrigation.
“Farmers will no longer depend on rain-fed farming but irrigation,” said Kawale.
He has since urged farmers to work in cooperatives for them to benefit from the SVTP project.
The minister further said his ministry was aware of the challenges that the project is facing in the course of construction works.
“I am delighted with how the communities have received the project by establishing cooperatives in order to work together,” he said.
In his remarks, Project Coordinator Dr Stanley Chakhumbila Khaila hailed the minister for visiting the construction works to appreciate the progress of the project.
However, the Coordinator told the minister that major challenge is lack of cement.
The project will benefit 48,400 households, translating to 223,000 people.
The SVTP is being funded by the World Bank, African Development Bank (ADB) OPEC, Global Environmental Facility ( GEF) and the Malawi Government.
