Shang’ombo District Commissioner Captain Lawrence Nyambe has disclosed that the district in Western Province is likely to be affected by hunger this year due to poor rains experienced in the district.
Mr. Nyambe said Shang’ombo is usually the second largest producer of maize in the province when the rains are sufficient seconded by Kaoma.
He said despite community awareness to grow a variety of crops every farming season, farmers in the district continue to plant maize as a priority.
The District Commissioner has since urged farmers to consider growing a variety of crops in the district in order to avoid experiencing a shortage of food.
Captain Nyambe said government has always come through for the district whenever there is a shortage of maize like in 2016 where he said Government distributed food in the area.
He commended the Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZVAC) from the Disaster Management and Mitigating Unit (DMMU) team for touring the district with the aim of assessing the impact of the dry spell.
The District Commissioner was speaking when the Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZVAC) team from DMMU paid a courtesy call on him at the Administration Office before embarking on a quest to assess fields in the district.
Meanwhile, Robert Mwanza a member of the Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZVAC) team from the Disaster Management and Mitigating Unit of the office of the Vice President disclosed that the team was in the area for the rapid assessment due to the prolonged dry spell on the crops as well as the infestation of the pest (Army worm).
Mr. Mwanza said according to their findings after visiting the fields in the district, found that all the wards in Shang’ombo were affected by the dry spell with wilting as the number one cause.
Can those responsible do something before it’s too late.
Is it lack of rainfall or late delivery of inputs.truth is good
MY TRADITIONAL COUSINS ARE JUST LAZY… THERE IS ALWAYS HUNGER IN SHANGOMBO EVEN WHEN WE HAVE RAINS ABOVE AVERAGE…
Wasn’t Dora stating just last week that Zambia won’t experience any hunger in spite of the poor rains?
To quote, she said; “Zambians will not go hungry despite a disappointing rain season the country has experienced so far, the Minister of Agriculture has assured.”
This practice of preaching to locals to diversify in growing other varieties of crops has been tried for a long time without any positive response.
GOVERNMENT MUST ENTICE THESE FARMERS BY GIVING THEM FREE SEED FOR THESE/OTHER CROP VARIETIES LIKE CASSAVA, SORGHUM etc. May be that will work.