Namibia, Malawi explore best agricultural practices
IN A collaborative initiative led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) country offices in Namibia and Malawi, a delegation of 31 agricultural extension officers and management staff from the ministry of agriculture, conducted a study visit to Malawi a few weeks ago.
The primary objective of the mission was to gather insights and draw on best agricultural practices in Malawi, with the overarching aim of equipping the officers with skills that are crucial to empowering Namibian farmers through enhanced extension service delivery coupled with innovative farming methods.
The initiative aligns with the ongoing collaboration between FAO and the ministry on the project titled “Emergency response to mitigate multiple shocks and enhance resilient livelihoods in Namibia,” that is funded by the government of Japan.
In Malawi, the delegation engaged counterparts and farming communities, encompassing vital areas such as visiting FFS sites and groups in rural communities such as Mangochi to enhance the understanding and practical application of the approach.
Additionally, they conducted site visits to areas where Malawi’s Sustainable High-Value Enterprise Project was implemented under the Market-Oriented Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (MaSHEP) framework, thereby creating linkages to augment the N-SHEP programme being rolled out in Namibia.
The mission also encompassed a one-day session with agricultural extension staff in Malawi to exchange ideas on issues and challenges related to extension service delivery. This session delved into exploring new and non-conventional approaches in the evolving digital world, including the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) digital platform in agriculture.
Additionally, the mission involved acquiring skills and insights into the practical use of crop yield estimation, conducting food security assessments, utilizing early warning models, and deployment of mobile-based applications by agricultural extension staff in Malawi.
Knowledge exchange
The choice of Malawi for this mission was intentional, based in its role as a pilot country, alongside Namibia, for the FAO/ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) project on satellite-based crop yield estimation which is led by the ministry’s Early Warning and Food Security Unit.
This deliberate selection served to promote cross-fertilization of ideas and deepen the understanding and utilization of mobile-based applications deployed under the FAO/NASA project.
Additionally, the mission included visits to specific farming sites where Conservation Agriculture (CA) has demonstrated positive impacts on production and livelihoods transformation, aligning seamlessly with ministry of agriculture’s Comprehensive Conservation Agriculture Program (CCAP) II for 2024/2025–2028/2029. -FAO.org