SCRICA project benefits 36, 000 households in Chibombo

Minister for National Development and Planning, Alexander Chiteme says government attaches great importance to Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Kafue Sub Basin (SCRICA) projects.

Mr Chiteme said this is because the climate resilience projects have a direct bearing on improving the livelihoods of the vulnerable.

She said it is the desire of President Edgar Lungu’s administration to see that the vulnerable people in society benefited from pro-poor programmes.

Mr Chiteme said he was in Chibombo district to see how vegetables grown by communities in the area could be aggregated to ensure that they do not go to waste.

He further observed that government intends to partner with MKP, an organisation that intends to aggregate vegetables for farmers so that they do not go to waste.

ZANIS reports that Mr Chiteme was speaking in Chibombo during a joint ministerial tour of SCRICA projects, with Central Province Minister, Sydney Mushanga.

And Mr Mushanga has disclosed that over 36,000 households have benefited from SCRICA projects in Chibombo district, Central Province.

He said a total of 21,075 females and 15,814 males in the district had benefited from 75 community boreholes, 15 community goat kraals, 21 community chicken run and two banana irrigation infrastructure.

Mr Mushanga disclosed that through the SCRICA project, farmers in the district have also been trained in conservation farming as well as management of soil moisture and fertility.

He noted that the sub-projects have helped in supporting communities to adopt practices that enable them protect existing livelihood systems and achieve food security through increased agricultural productivity.

Mr Mushanga further observed that SCRICA has enabled farmers to generate income by linking them to markets for the sale of their value added products.

Mr Mushanga said the province has benefited K25 million from the SCRICA project of which K7 million had been directed towards the implementation of climate resilient projects in Chikobo, Chitanda and Katuba wards in the district.

He has since urged beneficiaries of the sub-projects to ensure that SCRICA project leaves indelible marks on their economic activities.

‘’We need to ensure that lessons learnt from SCRICA are not only sustainable, but also shared with future generations in order to cushion the adverse effects of climate change,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Chibombo District Commissioner (DC), Catherine Chilonda said the district is in collaboration with a local partner, MKP farms who had benefited from the SCRIKA project under the matching grant category.

Ms Chilonda said the farm will act as an aggregator of most agricultural produce coming from community beneficiary groups and also link community groups to the market.

She said the district has since lobbied for gravel and culverts to be used for gravelling of the road leading to MKP farms for easy accessibility.

Ms Chilonda also disclosed that MKP has also conducted specialized trainings with community groups that were into gardening.