K800m NOT ENOUGH FOR GREENBELT INITIATIVE – Malawi News Online

After Treasury allocated K800 million to the Green Belt Authority (GBA) in the proposed 2019/20 National Budget, lawmakers observed that the low funding will affect the operations of the authority to develop irrigation farming.

In the initial proposal, GBA proposed K1 billion for the development of sugarcane irrigation in Salima but only K260 million has been allocated, K2 billion was proposed for the development of cotton irrigation project at Nchalo in Chikwawa but only K140 million has been allocated. On the other hand, the authority also proposed K2.2 billion for rice and other related irrigation development project at Nthola-Illola in Karonga but only K100 million has been allocated.

In total, the funding that GBA is 88% below the K7 billion the authority proposed. In June 2018, GBA revealed plans to establish more irrigation projects in the country as one way of making Malawi a food basket and an agricultural investment destination.

In an interview on the sidelines of the launch and unveiling of the authority’s logo in Lilongwe last week, Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Gray Nyandule-Phiri said Malawi has not fully utilised its water resources for a long time; hence, the need to change.