spot_img
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
spot_img
HomeLatestMinistry moves to promote banana farming in schools

Ministry moves to promote banana farming in schools

By Moses Nyirenda

Some of Chaminade Marianist Secondary School students being assisted to plant the banana

Lilongwe, March 10, Mana: Deputy Director of Crop Development-Horticulture in the ministry of Agriculture Eviness Nyalugwe has  said the ministry is committed in promoting banana farming in the countryโ€™s primary and secondary schools in a bid to improve availability of the fruits in the country.

She made the remarks on Friday during the planting of over 100 banana plants at Chaminade Marianist Secondary School in Lilongwe which was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture under โ€˜school banana orchardโ€™ initiative which the Ministry of Agriculture will run in the countryโ€™s schools with support from Chinese Government.

Nyalugwe said that her ministry is concerned with the importation of banana fruits by the country, hence its decision to promote the planting of bananas in schools.

โ€œCurrently our country is importing a lot of bananas from Tanzania and even Mozambique, the ministry is concerned and therefore we have thought of increasing the production area of the bananas in the country.

โ€œMost of the times we normally involve adults to grow the bananas, but this time around we have decided to also involve young people especially the students in primary and secondary schools across Malawi,โ€ Nyalugwe said.

She further expressed confidence that involving the schools in cultivation of bananas would help to increase the availability of bananas in the country.

โ€œWe believe that when we target these youths in schools they will have that spirit of growing bananas and when they grow up they would become farmers in so doing, they  will be able to increase the production of the bananas and that would reduce or stop the importation of fruits in the country,โ€ she said.

In a separate interview, Chaminade Marianist Secondary School Principal, Brother Duncan Onyango thanked the Ministry of Agriculture for considering his school to be part of โ€˜school banana orchardโ€™ programme.

He said that, he will make sure that the newly planted bananas at his school are being well cared in order to grow and start producing its fruits.

RELATED ARTICLES

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -

Most Popular