Unite for inputs, farmers told
FARMERS in Msanzala constituency in Petauke district must form cooperatives as a way of positioning themselves to receive adequate support from government and other well-wishers, area member of Parliament Peter Daka has advised.
Mr Daka said the farmers must utilise such opportunities to grow the agriculture sector.
He said once cooperatives were formed, it would be easier for them to access farming inputs on time. He also donated early maturing maize seed to 47 households in the wake of erratic rainfall recorded in some parts of Zambia. Mr Daka disclosed that the donation was made possible by President Lungu, Zamseed, Nyimba Investment, and Roland Imperial Tobacco in support of the agriculture sector to drive economic growth.
He said by planting early maturing seed, farmers still had a chance of recording a good harvest despite the poor rains recorded at the beginning of the rainy season.
Mr Daka said the farmers who benefitted from the gesture were Kamuthiko residents, who were displaced in October 2017 from land belonging to a named Petauke businessman. He said there was need to adopt and promote conservation farming in Zambia because it had potential to improve people’s livelihood.
Meanwhile, Mr Daka has urged people in his constituency to clear their surroundings to avoid snake bites and cholera outbreak.
And Patriotic Front Msanzala constituency secretary Francis Jason Phiri has assured residents that the ruling party was aware of the difficult conditions they were going through. Mr Phiri added that plans were under way to resolve their displacement.