“Green Belt Initiative to be resurrected” – Pres Muthalika

President Professor Peter Mutharika has reiterated his commitment to reviving the Green Belt Initiative (GIB) in a bid to increase agriculture export base.

Professor Mutharika said this on Thursday when he presided over the official opening of the 11th National Agriculture Fair in Blantyre.

President Mutharika said the GBI would be intensified in different localities along Lake Malawi and other perennial rivers.

The Malawi leader further said upon its intensification, the initiative would promote double or thrice harvests in a year consequently boosting commercial agriculture in the country.

He noted: “With climate change effects, the future of the agriculture sector in Malawi is mainly dependent on irrigated farming. As such my Government intends to revive the Green belt Initiative to intensify irrigation farming.

He then urged all players in the agriculture sector to be innovative and also consider adapting to the changing environment by using modern technologies to ensure increased production.“This initiative will therefore ensure that the country gets good crop harvests under irrigation as there will be the possibility of getting more harvests in a year hence increasing the agricultural export base.”

The Green Belt Initiative targets smallholder and commercial farmers with the aim of achieving and sustaining an agricultural revolution that will provide a sound footing for sustained economic growth and development through increased agricultural export volumes.