Government and its cooperating partners have been praised for embarking on irrigation scheme projects aimed at making irrigation an alternative from seasonal farming.
Small Scale Farmers Development Agency SAFADA says the move to establish mini dams and irrigation canals in farming communities and blocks was commendable as it would reduce local farmers’ dependency on rains, in pursuing agricultural activities.
SAFADA Director Boyd Moobwe in an interview with ZANIS said the initiative is one of the principle points which his organization has been lobbying for in addressing agriculture related challenges.
He said government and other stakeholders needed to scale out the program so as to yield an impact from farming activities in the country.
Government is set to launch irrigation schemes under the ‘Irrigation Development Support Project (IDSP) such as Mwomboshi area irrigation scheme located 28 kilometers north of Chisamba.
According to a Zambia Environmental Management Agency notice to the farming community and general public, the Ministry of Agriculture under IDPS seeks to undertake the 1500 hectare Mwomboshi irrigation scheme pending approval from the environmental authority.
The project earmarked for Chisamba town in Chibombo district will cater land subdivisions for smallholder farmers, emerging small scale commercial farmers, private company or community owned firms and existing large-scale commercial farmers who will benefit from its irrigation infrastructure.
The project will realise construction of reservoirs, pump stations, irrigation fields, installation of irrigations systems and a large dam.
