By Esnart Chingwalu

The land restoration initiative in Mzimba, Kasungu  Ntchisi and Dowa districts can get bear fruits if local smallholder farmers embrace agroforestry.

This was disclosed during an agriculture field day that Total Land Care organized in Kasungu district in conjunction with International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) and Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) under Sustainable Management of Landscape (SAMALA) project.

Total Land Care manager director Zwide Jere said they are hoping that the trained lead-farmers will in turn impart the knowledge gained to their fellow farmers.

“We organized this event for the targeted farmers from the districts that SAMALA Project is being implemented so that they can share knowledge with their fellow famers here in Kasungu on how agroforestry helps to improve soils,” said Jere.

ICRAF field officer Konisaga Mwafongo said the event has come at a right time when many farmers are struggling to restore their lands which have been degraded, hence affecting their yields.

YONECO’s -SAMALA project coordinator Vitumbiko Namondwe expressed pleasure with how the project is improving farming practices among youth and women.