The Ministry of Agriculture in Lundazi district of Eastern province has advised farmers to adhere to good agriculture practices and plant certified seed for enhanced agriculture production.
District Agriculture Marketing and Development Officer Charles Mwanza observed the need for farmers in the region to take agriculture as a business and improve their living standards.
Mr. Mwanza noted that with the continued changes in the climatic conditions caused by climate change there is need for farmers to embrace good farming activities that will help them get maximum benefits from their labour.
He cited good seed as one of the requirements that farmers need to embrace for them to get good yields.
Mr. Mwanza was speaking in Lundazi yesterday when Zambezi Seed Company distributed about 500 kilograms of maize seed and 300 kilograms of Sorghum to over 100 small scale farmers of Mwase Lundazi area.
” It is important to know that time has come for farmers to start taking farming as a serious business by adhering to good farming practices which also cause for improved or certified varieties for us to get good yields especially now with the challenges in rainfall pattern due to climate change,” he added.
He also explained that the Ministry of agriculture has a task to reduce poverty among households through encouraging farmers to practice good farming practices and using good inputs.
Mr.Mwanza added that farmers should also practice conservation farming as an additional to good seed and inputs that they are given by government and other stakeholders.
He further thanked Zambezi seed for providing sustainable seed varieties such as early maturing seed that can also be partially recycled.
And Zambezi seed representative Evans Ngoma has pledged his company’s support to vulnerable but viable small scale farmers in order to improve their farming activities.
Mr.Ngoma who is also Buy Zed campaign Founder said Zambezi seed will continue to engage with other stakeholders and the Ministry of Agriculture to promote the sustainable farming practices as a way of ensuring food security among households.
“Us we are determined to see our vulnerable but viable farmers get support of improving their farming activities and increasing yields thereby promoting food security among the community,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Senior Chief Mwase Lundazi has cautioned his subjects against selling the seed that they have been given but rather put it to good use so that families can benefit.
The Chief who spoke through his representative Howkings Chirwa thanked Zambezi seed for supplementing government efforts in the farmer input distribution process among small scale farmers.
Farmers should not listen to this plant indigenous seeds not the Masanto certified seeds