Title:
Chimanga - Agriculture development / help for food security of
smallholder farmers in the Balaka District - Southern Region - Malawi

Timing:
Three years

Financing partners:
-Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
-European Union
-Montfort Missionaries

Local partners:
-Montfort Missionaries
-Andiamo Youth Cooperative Balaka
-Villages Committee for Agriculture Development

Other partners:
Agriculture Development Department (ADD)
Makoka Agriculture Research Station (MARS)

The Chimanga Project is being implemented in Balaka district by Ricerca e Cooperazione (RC) an Italian NGO in partnership with Saint Louis Monfort Parish (Balaka). It is a rural development project funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union. The project aims at improving both the short and long term food security and nutritional status of smallholder farmers in the drought affected areas of Balaka. The project concentrates its effort in maize production, delivering basic inputs as seeds and fertilizer through the establishment of a sustainable micro-credit scheme.

Objectives:
1. Improve cultivations production for food and develop the local
agricultures techniques based on a self sustain strategy.
2. Promote the introduction of food species drought resistant.
3. Improve cultivation production to be sell to market

Origin:
Poverty alleviation, particularly in rural areas, is a priority for Malawi Government. Food security plays a fundamental role considering the high demographic rate. Food production is getting worse; considering that 100 was the value between 1978-81 ten years later the rate was 74. Even calories consuming for captia reach only the 87% of the daily minimum intake. Malawi Government food security policy stressed that; maize (chimanga) is a national priority food and taking into account the high importing cost, the country is extremely vulnerable