2,882 households in Petauke District of Eastern Province have been targeted under the rainfed Food Security Pack (FSP) programme.
Flagging off the distribution of the rainfed FSP in Manyane area of the district, Petauke District Commissioner Martha Mulenga said that this was targeted at vulnerable but viable households, to ensure that they are food secure and that they contribute towards the food security of the nation.
Ms Mulenga explained that this was the third year running for the target beneficiaries, who under normal circumstances were supposed to be whined off after two years.
She said the beneficiaries have been maintained for the third year due to the drought experienced in the 2023/2024 farming season.
The package includes two 50 kilogram bags of D-Compound, two 50kilogram bags of Urea, one 10 kilogram bag of maize seed and one 10 kilogram bag of groundnut seed.
“For the government to give you these inputs, you are expected to alleviate hunger in your households. I sincerely appeal to you, do not sell the fertiliser,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nsenda Tembo, a beneficiary from Manyane appreciated the timely disbursement of the inputs.
“We are grateful here in Manyane for the inputs. We are just praying that the rains continue in this trajectory so that we have a bumper harvest,” he said.
Another beneficiary Rhoda Nyirenda said she was not anticipating to receive the inputs this year as it was the third year running on the programme, hence her gratitude to the government for the gesture.
“Government did not neglect us during the drought, even the following farming season, they did not neglect us. We were thinking that the programme has ended, but the government remembered us and has given us fertiliser even this year,” she said.
The FSP weans off its clients after two years, however due to the drought experienced in the 2023/2024 farming season, the programme has added an extra year for the beneficiaries.
