The government says the implementation of the emergency wetland cropping programme under the Food Security Pack (FSP) has significantly helped to address perpetual hunger among vulnerable but viable households in the country.
Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary Angela Kawandami says the programme which was implemented as a response to the drought which the country faced last year has helped to reduce poverty.
She explained that the programme has helped to fight negative coping mechanisms such as selling household goods for survival.
ZANIS reports that Ms Kawandami said this when she led officials from her Ministry in checking on the performance of crops of selected smallholder farms in Kasama district who received inputs under the emergency wetland cropping program.
The Permanent Secretary said Northern Province has benefited from the programme which is implemented by the department of community development.
“We have seen that it is possible for households to have crops all year round instead of depending on the rain fed crop production, this what we want to continue. Families should be able to grow crops all year round,” Ms Kawandami said.
“As part of the drought response, the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services participated in the emergency food security pack, where we assisted vulnerable but viable farmers with fertilizer and seeds,” she said.
She said the Ministry is encouraged to see that it is possible for people to grow crops more than once every year.
Bernadette Lwipa, a beneficiary of Kenda Village in Kasama District, has appealed to the government to consider supporting farmers with water pumps to boost production.
“The maize which you are seeing now in our fields is almost ready for harvesting, we were just using buckets to water the crops, so if we have water pumps, crop production will be even higher,” she explained.
She thanked the government for the initiative stating that households in the village have been able to meet the basic needs after selling fresh maize.
She revealed that beneficiaries have used some of the proceeds from the sales to buy seeds and fertilizer to be used under the rain fed crop production.
Another beneficiary, Amos Kangwa of Shata Village in Kasama District explained that farmers are happy that they have for the first time received massive support to improve household food security.
He appealed to the government to continue supporting farmers saying the programme is impacting positively to vulnerable households.
Meanwhile, Kasama District Community Development Officer, Godfrey Mwansa said that the district supported 3000 households with inputs under the emergency wetland cropping.
Mr, Mwansa disclosed that the department is happy that recipients put the inputs to good use as evidenced by crops in their fields.
“As you can see, in this field where we are, crops are almost ready to be harvested, some other farmers have already harvested which in turn is reducing household poverty,” he explained.
