‘$130m climate fund will reduce poverty’

THE US$130 million project climate resilient food programme will ensure robust food production and help reduce poverty, says National Union Small-Scale Farmers of Zambia (NUSFAZ) Director General Frank Kayula.

Speaking in an interview with Daily Nation yesterday, Mr Kayula said climate-resilient food access was important as far as the NUSFAZ was concerned. He said the adverse effects of climate which had seen floods and drought in some parts of the country needed concerted efforts.

"You have seen how the climate has impacted negatively on production of this country where southern province has lost about 70 percent of what they grew. We are hoping this money would sort out some of these things," he said.

Dr Kayula said the money was to be invested in irrigation and production of resilient livestock especially small livestock. He further said the money should also go into production of indigenous foods, such as beans, groundnuts and soya beans which would benefit the famers.

The US$137.3 million project dubbed ‘strengthening climate resilience of agriculture livelihoods in agro-ecological regions in Zambia,’ would target 16 districts with over 900,000 beneficiaries in 157,000 households.

The Miniseries of Agriculture and National Development Planning would be involved in this programme by strengthening the ability of farmers in Western, Southern, Muchinga, Eastern and Lusaka Provinces to withstand and overcome adverse effects of climate change using the climate-resilient food programme.

Zambia launched a seven-year project aimed at strengthening climate resilient food production and ensuring poverty reduction.