Agriculture and Cooperative Permanent Secretary Professor Isaac Phiri has urged Sinazongwe farmers that benefited from the K2.1 billion investment for irrigation to produce more food to curb severe hunger in the district.
Professor Phiri told farmers during his tour of the district at Buleya Malima Irrigation Scheme that they should be serious to ensure that government investment begins to show results.
He said it was unfortunate that farmers have failed to start cultivating the land on time when there was plenty of water for irrigation.
“If the pumps have no problems let us struggle to produce more food to reduce the hunger situation in the district,” Professor Phiri said.
Professsor Phiri noted that Southern Province was hit by floods and irrigation Schemes were the only means that could caution the imminent hunger that would affect the people.
He said the farmers should take advantage of the shortage of hunger to produce more food to sale even to the local people.
The Permanent Secretary expressed his disappointment when he found farmers using water from the canals at Buleya Malima Irrigation Scheme to wet their fields before tilling it.
He said the act was waste of water because they should prepared there land when the soils were still wet in April.
However, the Professor said the ministry was in the process to ensure that any foreign company that invested in fishing should have 25 percent of its shares given to the local people.
He said it was not right for district to have only four local companies involved into fishing out of 20 companies.
Sinazongwe District Administrative Officer Sokoloku Daka said government has completed the rehabilitation of kamutalala dam in Siameja area.
Mr. Daka said the Nzenga irrigation Scheme site has been tendered for construction this year.
He said the district Agriculture officers have also surveyed Chiyabi irrigation Scheme and the estimate cost for rehabilitating it was 2.1 kwacha.
[ZANIS]
Ahhhhhhh this Prof. Phiri. I am loving him. One moment he tells of Nelson Mawanai and his Zambeef, the next moment he has a candid tete-a-tete with villagers in Sinazongwe over the need to cultivate land and improve food production. I think i like such leaders. Even if things won’t work out according to his plans, he would at least left his ideas on record. Where were you Prof? I just like your style.