Farmers participating in the planting of mega demo on rip lines in Katete district.
The US Government through USAID and the State Department under the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) is assisting Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania to address the multiple challenges facing smallholder agricultural production as a result of the impact of the war in Ukraine and other production constraints.
There are four priority interventions to be implemented through the program. These are:
a) improved fertilizer production, distribution, and use.
b) supporting and strengthening access to and availability of seeds.
c) improving access to financial services.
d) strengthening agricultural advisory services that deliver critical information on improved crop, soil, and water management to the rural communities through existing platforms and networks.
TLC is implementing the AID-I project in Central Malawi and Eastern province in Zambia focusing on achieving 2 interlinked strategic objectives:
a) Increased production of key value chains.
b) Enhanced capacity of FOs and MSMEs in market access.
To achieve these objectives, TLC is working through existing platforms and networks in partnership with organizations such as Meridian, CIMMYT with other CGIARs, government extension and other stakeholders.
CIMMYT’s Director of AgriFood Systems captured during the visit.
As part of the Southern Africa Field tour, Jerry Glover, the Deputy Director for USAID's Center for Agriculture visited TLC’s Ukama Ustawi (U2) and Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project sites in Nkhotakota from 20th to 21st April 2023 to appreciate ongoing activities and plans for 2024.
During the visit, the Deputy Director and CIMMYT secretariat also interacted with farmers to appreciate the impact of the project’s interventions on their livelihoods.