President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday visited Marko Irrigation Scheme in Chitipa. It is one of the two schemes that PRIDE (Programme for Rural Irrigation Development) has constructed in the district. A multitude of excited people from near and afar converged on Ifumbo Trading Centre that borders Tanzania, to see Chakwera, the first president to visit the area. In his speech when he addressed the gathering after inspecting the scheme, President Chakwera thanked people of the area for making use of the 140-hectare scheme to improve their living standards. Earlier, the president also visited a night water storage reservoir, and a water conveyance system. He also saw some displays on nutrition interventions. The scheme, which has 971 beneficiaries
was completed end last year. Farmers have already grown and harvested their first crop. PRIDE, under the Department of Irrigation in the Ministry of Agriculture, constructed the schemes with funding from IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development).
