YONECO participated in a farmer field visit that was organized by CARD from 20 to 23 March, 2025 at Senior Group Village Head (SGVH) in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Mbenje, Nsanje district.
The activity under an FCDO-funded project titled Climate adaptation and resilience for Communities.
The visit aimed to showcase demonstration farms that are being managed by 2, 810 lead farmers who benefited from hybrid, climate-resilient seeds that were distributed through a consortium that is implementing the project, comprising CARD, Concern Worldwide, and YONECO.
The crop estimates in the fields that were visited indicate a high yield despite drought conditions experienced between January and March 2026.
Beneficiaries attributed their success to the use of resilient seed varieties such as sorghum (Pilira 1) and orange sweet potato (Chipika), as well as adherence to climate-smart agriculture practices guided by extension workers. Farmers noted that these crops withstood harsh weather conditions better than traditional varieties.
Local leaders commended the initiative for its potential to reduce hunger and encouraged farmers to share seeds and best practices within the community.
“As a community, we are truly grateful for this initiative, which is already showing great potential to reduce hunger among our people” explained Francis Kauma – one of the beneficiaries.
