Govt launches cultivation of winter maize in Itezhi Tezhi

GOVERNMENT has launched the growing of winter maize in Itezhi Tezhi District with 287 hectares of land being allocated for the project in the face of the drought which has been declared a disaster, leaving a population of more than two million at risk of famine.

Southern Province Minister Credo Nanjuwa said President Hakainde Hichilema's declaration of an emergency food disaster calls for a multi sectoral approach which requiring the realigning all district activities and available resources towards food production.

Mr. Nanjuwa said government was expecting that all systems should move in earnest without bureaucratic excuses and advised the offices of the District Agriculture Coordinator and Provincial Agriculture Coordinator to immediately set up targets and time frames in order to meet the desired sufficient winter crop production to increase the country's food security.

He said the initiative needed total government technical and financial support.

He appealed to Chiefs in the Southern Province, especially those along river banks such as the Zambezi and Kafue to replicate the Chikanza Chiefdom winter maize project, which was a viable alternative to food security.

“We have a dire situation in the country in terms of food and this province including Itezhi-Tezhi have not been spared. The President expects us his appointees to provide solutions to this challenge by proactively turning it into opportunities and explore possibilities of winter maize growing,” Nanjuwa said.

And Southern Province Permanent Secretary Namani Moonze said government through the Ministry of Agriculture was ready to provide implements such as tractors and other auxiliary support to ensure that community projects aimed at providing food security during this period and in future are supported.

Dr. Moonze directed the district to immediately call for an emergency district development Coordinating committee meeting to identify the needed technical support.

“Our people need food and government is ready to provide incentives to support the production of that food so that no-one sleeps hungry. We are lucky that we have water bodies and traditional leaders that can support such an ambitious program and it is our role as technocrats to provide the support services.

We cannot fail as long as we identify the needed support and we need to move in earnest in replicating this initiative”, he said.