Embassy of Japan in Malawi
在マラウイ日本国大使館
Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects
Grant Contract Signing Ceremony through the Construction of Irrigation Facilities in Blantyre and Chiradzulu Districts
February 9, 2016
On Tuesday, 9th February 2016, His Excellency Shuichiro Nishioka, Ambassador of Japan to Malawi signed a contract with Mr Abdul Gaffar Jakhura, Chairman of the Gift of the Givers Foundation Malawi. The Contract signifies a grant from the Government of Japan to the Republic of Malawi under the Japanese Grant Aid Scheme for the Project for Improvement of Agriculture Production through the Construction of Irrigation Facilities in two areas in Blantyre and Chiradzulu Districts. The ceremony was held at the Embassy of Japan and was graced by Hon Dr Allan Chiyembekeza M.P., Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.
Agriculture is the primary industry in Malawi, as it contributes to more than 80 percent of the export earnings and about 30 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Malawi. Also 80 to 90 percent of the labor force rely on agriculture. Therefore, agriculture has an effect on the socio-economic status of the people and the country in general. Meanwhile, most farmers in Malawi depend on weather conditions and unpredictable rainfall for their crops. However, climate change is either causing droughts or floods in some parts of the country with intensity never experienced before. Currently, almost 2.8 million people are facing shortage of food due to poor harvest of maize as a result of uncertain weather last year. It is with the reason that, the Government of Japan approved a grant amounting to Eighty Six Thousand Two Hundred and Ninety Eight US Dollars (equivalent to MK61 million) which will facilitate the construction of two borehole pumping irrigation facilities and irrigation canals, one in Sagonja area in Blantyre District and another one in Nankuyu area in Chiradzulu District.
This was the first borehole pumping irrigation project under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects scheme. Speaking during the ceremony, Ambassador Nishioka believed that, the success of the project will enable the farmers from Sagonja and Nankuyu areas to engage into farming throughout the year. This will later increase their agriculture production, improve food security and boost their income. Furthermore, the success of this borehole pumping irrigation project even being a small case would be an opportunity to spread irrigated farming throughout a country.
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