The Government through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services is conducting a provincial pre Emergency Wetlands Cropping implementation monitoring exercise in Luapula Province.
Director for Community Development, Mrs Patricia Muyamwa has since paid a courtesy call on the Provincial Permanent Secretary, Mr. Mighty Mumba as part of her Provincial monitoring efforts for the sub-programme, crucially timed amidst ongoing drought conditions.
Reflecting on the impact of the drought, Mrs Muyamwa emphasized the importance of learning from the prevailing climatic challenges to bolster innovative approaches aimed at enhancing food security.
She said the programme is set to benefit 30,200 beneficiary households across the entire Province, a testament to its wide-reaching impact.
“We are ensuring that the distribution of fertilizers and other inputs proceeds smoothly and that we are well-prepared for effective implementation,” Mrs Muyamwa assured.
She expressed confidence in the effective implementation of the Wetlands programme, highlighting proactive measures to mitigate agricultural challenges exacerbated by the drought.
In response, the Provincial Permanent Secretary, Mr Mighty Mumba, expressed satisfaction with the programme’s progress, noting the timely distribution of farming inputs as a crucial factor in its anticipated success.
He also noted the favourable agricultural conditions in Luapula Province, suggesting a shift from small-scale goat rearing to cattle farming as a viable strategy.
Mr Mumba further appreciated the Government through the Ministry for considering Luapula for the Emergency Wetlands Cropping Sub-Programme despite having received favourable rainfall, making it the second-best agricultural performing Province which resulted in the purchase of 80,000 against the 39,000 metric tonnes target of maize purchases by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
