Green Belt Authority Acting Chief Executive Officer Amon Mluwira told us Tuesday that the authority has started engaging chiefs on the need to ask their subjects to offer land for irrigation farming.

This follows resistance from Yaphet and Ngosi who declined to provide land for irrigation.

"As of now we will only start with villages which have given a go-ahead as we await finalization of the discussions with the said villages," said Mluwira.

On his part, Director of Planning and Development at Karonga District Council David Gondwe emphasized the need for the villagers to provide land for irrigation farming for them to be assured of reaping economic fruits from the scheme.

"A team of officials are currently on the ground engaging chiefs on the same," said Gondwe.

The 1,000 rice irrigation scheme covers Nthola, Ilola, and Ngosi in the area of Paramount Chief Kyungu.

According to Mluwira, the authority has only received 1 billion kwacha out of the required 30 billion kwacha during the current financial year.