On several occasions, Harry Kasondo would visit the Bunda Smart Farm to learn about diverse technologies seed companies and other CAT partners  showcased during field demo tours and other agricultural exhibitions. The maize, sugarcane and vegetable smallholder farmer said he would walk about eight kilometers to reach and access the smart farm but never regretted covering that distance because it was worth it. “Each time I went there, I liked to listen more to what the extension workers were telling us on the advantages of crop varieties like maize, soybeans, groundnuts and other root crops. Being a maize farmer, my immediate interest had always been on maize,” explains Kasondo, from Mpokosa village, T/a Chadza in Lilongwe. However, the father of two said he had observed that most farmers went to the Smart Farm just to see and fold their arms without doing anything when they returned home, yet the lessons that agriculture experts (ditched out during demonstration tours were life changing to the farmers if they tried to put into practice what they learnt. “We shouldn’t just come to the smart farm for nothing but we should take what they show us and do it ourselves. I have done it and found it to be beneficial. I encourage my fellow farmers to practice what they learn,” he explained.

He revealed that when the CAT held a field demonstration tour in March 2022, he was moved by the testimonies from our peers on the benefits of maize varieties and settled for Mwadzangati (MH46A) which has given him high yields and increased income after trying it on his dambo field. “I’m used to growing early maturing Kanyani maize variety  (SC 403) but when I came to the smart farm, I heard about the MH46A and decided to try it on my small dambo field. I followed all the necessary crop practices we were told at the smart farm and the results have been good so far,” he said.

He said after planting the maize seed on his half acre dambo field, he harvested 300 cobs out of which 150 fresh cobs were sold at the roadside market as roasted maize at K200 per cob, carting home an income of K30,000. “I’m convinced that this is the way to go. I’m also encouraged to grow more maize of this variety on a larger scale in order to increase profits,” noted Kasondo. His success has since inspired 96 members of Khwelero Cooperative who meet regularly at T/A Chadza Headquarters to grow more maize at larger scale because of its high yielding potential. “When my friend asked me where I got the knowledge and told him it was from the smart farm, he promised to visit it during the next demonstration tour to learn more,” said Kasondo, chairperson of the cooperative located in Mkwinda Extension Planning Area in Lilongwe. “As I speak, my friend has bought 2kgs of this maize seed after noting what has happened to me. I think this is a good thing when more and more people see the importance of growing improved crop varieties as advised at the smart farm,” he said.

The CAT-Bunda Smart Farm showcases an array of such crop and other technologies to smallholder farmers and agricultural stakeholders, with financial support from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World through Agricultural Transformation Initiative in Malawi