Northwestern provincial Community Development Officer Khondawani Munyeka says the wetland agriculture initiative which is being implemented under the food security  programme is a game changer.

Mr. Munyeka says the initiative is a game changer as it will increase food security income at household levels and will respond to the prolonged dry spells which has affected most parts of the country.

He said this in an interview with ZANIS in Mushindamo today when he conducted a spot check of fields for potential beneficiaries.

The initiative is meant to improve people’s lives hence the need for small scale farmers to take the programme seriously by embracing other farming mechanisms such as irrigation.

“In Mushindamo we are projecting 700 beneficiaries …  we have done the first stage of the programme which is self-registration and now we have come to check because we do not just give out, but we have to look at farmers that are near where they are able to manage the harvest before we start giving out the inputs,” he said.

After the enumeration of the self-registered Farmers his office will start the distribution of the pack to the beneficiaries before the cold season. 

And 27-year-old Micheal Ngwenya, a vegetable farmer in Mushindamo district, has thanked government for the initiative saying it will give people even youths to venture into winter agriculture.

Mr Ngwenya expressed hope that after applying for the scheme, he hopes to increase his hectarage for more yield. 

Another 65 years old farmer Mateyo Muke expressed happiness with the initiative saying the programme will help him venture into winter maize growing and other vegetables varieties.

He further appealed to government for assistance in terms of irrigation water pumps. 

Five districts in the province are implementing the Westland agriculture initiative which includes Mushindamo,  Kasempa, Mwinilunga, Zambezi and Mushindamo districts, respectively.