World Vision and World Food Programme Support 1,000 Farming Households in Phalombe
World Vision, with support from the World Food Programme (WFP), has distributed fertilizer and maize seeds to 1,000 farming households in Traditional Authority Nazombe’s area, Phalombe District.
Each beneficiary received two 50kg bags of fertilizer—NPK and Urea—and 5kg of maize seed. The gesture was met with gratitude from the villages, who said it will help improve harvests and tackle hunger.
The villages were very thankful to World Vision and WFP for the gesture saying it will go a long way to improve their harvest and end their hunger.
Loveness Nyadira, 32, a single mother of two, shared her joy:
“I cannot afford these bags of fertilizer from the market because I don’t have that kind of money. So I am very thankful to World Vision and WFP. I am very hopeful that this year I will have bumper harvest if the rain comes in good amounts,” she says.
Phalombe Agriculture Officer Joseph Before described the donation as a significant relief for farmers.
“The market prize for the 50kg fertilizer is K156,000 which makes K312,000 ($178) for the two bags. The 5kg maize is valued at K68,000 bringing the total to K380,000 ($217) total package per farmer, and most of the farmers cannot afford this. The donation is a big rescue to the farmers,” says Joseph.
Joseph added that the maize seed is an early-maturing variety, which helps farmers cope with dry spells and adverse weather.
“The maize seed is a special an early maturing brand. This will help farmers in the event of dry spells so that it can quickly mature before the draught damages the crop,” he says.
Felix Chiyereni, 33, from Mangulenje village, says he was happy with the fertilizer because the reason he is struggling with food insecurity is because he did not harvest last year because of lack of fertilizer.
“Last year, I only received one bag of fertilizer from government programme. And to we bought it at a subsidised price of K15,000 ($9). It was not enough to help me harvest more. But this time it is a complete package of fertilizer plus seeds. I am very thankful,” he says.