President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has said the establishment of the Linga Irrigation Scheme is key in ensuring that people in Nkhata Bay district have food throughout the year whilst at the same time, conserving the environment.

The President made the remarks today as he visited and addressed farmers at Linga Irrigation Scheme site in the Area of Group Village Head Mphimbi in Nkhata Bay.

Chakwera said the project has been crucial in ensuring that farmers not only depend on the rainy season to plant their crops, but that they get to plant crops and harvest several times in a year.

"The project of mega farms will ensure that farmers earn more each year. I am glad to hear that farmers can be able to earn K500 million from this project, that is very inspiring. This will ensure that the country is food secure," said Chakwera.

Chakwera said the project will help to ensure households get engaged in income generating activities and afford sending their children to school and uplift their households.

In his remarks, the President of Water Users Association in Kande, Nkhatabay, Anderson Manda said before the establishment of mega farms, farmers used to struggle to irrigate on a big land.

"When government established this project, we were overjoyed as it meant that we could now harvest more with little manpower. This was not the case in the past. Linga Irrigation Scheme has 1000 hectares, of which we managed to put pipes to pump water from the ground on 450 hectares.

"We have irrigated on 400 hectares of these on which we planted rice and beans. We planted rice on 390 hectares and planted beans on the remaining 10 hectares. This is a great assurance of food security," said Manda.

One of the farmers who benefited from the project, Kayiyala Manda from group Village Head Fukamapiri in NkhataBay thanked the President for the project, saying it has helped him acquire livestock, through which he has become self-reliant.