Over 3,000 Choma households to benefit from emergency wetlands farming inputs, says Mweetwa

At least 3,200 households in Choma District, Southern Province, will benefit from the Emergency Wetlands Farming inputs initiative, area Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa has announced.

The project targets households living in wetlands, those with access to well water, or those near streams capable of supporting agriculture.

Mweetwa expressed satisfaction that the Ministry of Agriculture had provided orientations for farmers to ensure that the seeds and fertilizers they receive were used effectively.

Mweetwa, who also serves as the Chief Government Spokesperson, made these remarks after inspecting the distribution of farming inputs under the ‘Emergency Foodpack Wetland’ programme in Choma on Tuesday.

He stated that the government aimed to support all citizens, including those in formal employment and the public sector, through agricultural loans to encourage them to venture into farming.

“I want to thank His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema for the government’s intervention measures, which are beginning to provide relief amidst the drought affecting households in both rural and peri-urban areas,” Mweetwa said.

He highlighted that one of President Hichilema’s key initiatives had been to shift the public’s perception of agriculture, promoting it as both a business opportunity and a way of life.

Mweetwa stated that the programme was intended to benefit all Zambians, regardless of political affiliation, and encouraged public sector professionals, including teachers, nurses and other government workers, to engage in agriculture.

“In the past, many city dwellers viewed agriculture as a practice limited to rural residents, unaware of its benefits,” he said.

Mweetwa stressed that the farming inputs provided by the government were intended for cultivation to enhance household food security in Choma, not for resale.

He assured that the government would continue implementing measures to alleviate the challenges and pressures caused by the ongoing drought.

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