Based on the research findings, the study recommends changes in the operations of Ntcheu district in order to allow participation in decision making for the farmers needs to be addressed. Therefore, the government of Malawi should:
Respect different positions and their responsibilities and monitor them to avoid manipulation by the central government.
Respect the constitution because it is a supreme law that guides the country. In that way policy implementation as supported by the Acts will bring more successes than challenges. There is a need to conduct elections of local councilors for accountability purposes and for the government to gain trust from the people.
Follow the down-up planning whereby farmers’ ideas from village groups should be considered. In that way, farmers would support programmes. This means effective use of different panels developed in the DAES structure.
Since the percentage of farmers in District Stakeholder Panel and Area Stakeholder Panel is 50%, farmers’ representatives should be monitored to ensure that issues discussed at the panels reach out to all the farmers. Furthermore, farmers’ representatives should consult farmers before the meetings.
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Provide more resources at Ntcheu Agriculture District Office for efficient and effective implementation of the District Agriculture Extension Services System. For example, provide transport like motorcycles to extension workers and gumboots, one more car for the district because they only have one. This would enable the workers to reach out to different villages at the needed time and would enable the District Agriculture Development Officer to easily facilitate the panels at district and area levels and through the panels to prioritise and allocate funds to the needs and demands of farmers.
Employ more extension workers for Ntcheu district because in Njolomole Extension Planning Area, out of 13 sections eight are in operation. Lack of enough workers in the area is due to lack of incentives, therefore, by employing more workers and providing perquisites for them would help to match the ratio of 1-800 which is the recommended ration of worker to farmer and workers would be more efficient in their delivery of services.
Through the Department of Agriculture in Ntcheu District, create awareness programmes to enable farmers know about different panels at district and area levels and provide information channels either through the extension workers or Village head men or women. This would enable farmers to know the channels where agriculture issues are prioritised and be able to raise their concerns and demands. In that way, committee members would be encouraged to report to their communities what they have discussed in different committees. Farmers therefore, would feel to be represented and hence be confident that they are taking part in planning and decision- making.
Empower agriculture officers to raise their concerns through different channels for
99 devolution to be effective.
Encourage extension workers to use different ways in reaching out to farmers in order to attract farmers’ participation.
Through the Department of Agriculture, create markets to be an outlet for the farmers’ products. For example, the big companies must be encouraged to buy goods from the villages and build a tomato sauce factory in the district because most farmers lose tomato since it is difficult to preserve.
Provide training on the preservation of tomato to farmers to cut on loss. For example, they can be making tomato paste, canned tomatoes, tomato puree and others to improve on the products thereby generating more money. Although farmers indicated that a market is being built at Lizulu within the district, it has been put on hold because of lack of resources.
Provide materials for irrigation like treadle pumps and chemicals for prevention of diseases. This would enable farmers to produce more even out of rainy season.
Reintroduce clubs to buy fertilizer on loan basis because only few benefit from the subsidy programme. Prior to democratic government in Malawi, farmers used to get farm inputs on loan basis through clubs and in this way, they were benefiting a lot. The introduction of fertilizer subsidy policy in 2005, enabled farmers to buy subsidised fertilizer using coupons but distribution of coupons is faced with corruption hence most people do not benefit.
This means that effective implementation of District Agriculture Extension Services System is
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needed in Ntcheu district to allow farmers to participate in planning and decision making of programmes implemented in Njolomole EPA. The farmers are supposed to use different channels to raise their concerns especially when government is failing to address their needs and concerns. Furthermore, the farmers are encouraged to use different means to help the government generate resources for different programmes in that way their developmental needs would be addressed.
5.3 Areas for further study
Due to limitations of resources and time, some areas were not considered in this research study. Therefore, the study recommends the following areas for further study:
Assess participation of NGOs in agricultural activities in Ntcheu district
Compare farmers participation in different Extension Planning Areas of Ntcheu District Determine relationships of different stakeholders in the agriculture sector and their
impact on agricultural processes
Asses decentralisation process in Ntcheu District
5.4 Conclusion
This research has concluded that participation of farmers in agricultural programmes is poor. Programmes that could allow farmers to participate have been designed by the department of agriculture however, implementation is met with manipulation and lack of resources to the part of government and negligence to the part of farmers. Therefore the research has recommended effective implementation of the programmes through active participation of farmers and more support from the government.
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX A:MAP OF NTCHEU DISTRICT EXTENSION PLANNING AREAS
Source: Government of Malawi, 2008.
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APPENDIX B: MAP OF MALAWI SHOWING NTCHEU DISTRICT
Source: Government of Malawi, 2008
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APPENDIX C: SEMI- STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE FOR FACE TO FACE INTERVIEWS
1. What structures are available in Ntcheu that promotes participation of farmersinAgricultural activities?
2. How many times do you meet as
a. District Agricultural Committee
b. District Agriculture Extension Coordination Committee c. District Stakeholder Panel
d. Area Stakeholder Panel 3. How do you conduct your meetings?
4. What percentage can you give to participation of farmers in such committees? 5. What do you think is the reason for the outcome of question 3?
6. How long does it take for participant of the committee to know about the agenda of the meeting when it is scheduled?
7. For the programmes that have been implemented so far, are farmers informed before or after implementation? Please give an example
8. What percentage can you give yourself on the provision of services to farmers?
9. Do you think farmers are satisfied with the way services are provided to them? Please explain by giving examples.
10. What measures are taken if farmers’ needs are not addressed? 11. What percentage can you give to your relationship with farmers? 12. What do you think is the reason for the outcome of question 8?
13. Through this agricultural process (extension services) is there any impact on the farmers, the community and yourself as an officer?
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14. What percentage can you give to the impact of this process?
15. Are there any challenges you face in providing services to farmers? 16. What are the challenges?
17. How do you overcome them?
18. Can you suggest any ways the department can do to influence participation of farmers in agricultural activities.
Extra question for the District Agriculture Development Officer
1. How do you ensure that farmers grievances are prioritised in the DAC as well as assembly.
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APPENDIX D: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS
1. What are the structures available within the district that you use to raise your concerns in your area?
2. Do you feel like you are part of these structures? How? 3. Are your concerns addressed?
4. Of the programs that have been implemented, when did you know about them? After or before?
5. Do you take part when decisions for the programs are being made?
6. What percentage can you give to the operations of DSP, ASP and the Agriculture department in the area? Why?
7. Are you satisfied with the way your needs are addressed?
8. What measures have you put in place to ensure that your needs are addressed? 9. If they are not, what do you do?
10. What have you benefited as farmers through your participation in the DSP and ASP? 11. What have your community benefitted with the presence of these structures?
12. Are there any challenges you face as farmers in participating in these structures? 13. How do you overcome them?
14. Please suggest other ways the department should do to influence your participation in agricultural activities.