Melo News | Tuesday, 21st May 2024 | Lusaka
About 3000 farmers are expected to benefit from the Emergency Food Security Pack(FSP) in Mambwe District in the Eastern province.
Mambwe District Assistant Community Development Officer(DACDO) Lazarus Lungu says the 3000 farmers will be drawn from all the 48 Community Welfare Assistance Committees (CWACS) in the district.
Mr. Lungu said primary qualifiers must have adequate own labor provided by the household and must have about half a hectare of arable land in a wetland or dambo area.
He outlined that priority will also be given to farmer households with the highest score of poverty and vulnerability such as households whose food security had been threatened by the effects of climate change or disaster, households with a child or children under the age of five and households with more than seven members among others.
Mr. Lungu said the beneficiary households will receive one 50 kg bag of compound D fertilizer as well as one 50 kg bag of Urea in addition to one 5 kg bag of white or orange maize.
He said other farmers will benefit from the vegetable component and will be provided with two sachets of two different vegetable seeds which included garden eggs, eggplants, water melon, butternuts in addition to a 5 kg bag of cowpeas, beans as well as 50 kg by one bag of Compound D fertilizer and CAN fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides.
“The farmers will also be provided with complementary farming inputs and equipment to enhance productivity if the inputs or farming technologies were absolutely necessary and if funds allowed.
“The complementary farming incentives included a full kit treadle pump and irrigation pipes, three water cans, one sprayer and one planting tool,”he said.
Mr. Lungu said other additional inputs include agriculture lime and two bottles of chemicals for pesticides or weeds,
He said the beneficiaries will be required to pay back a portion of their harvest to the programme adding that those who will be given a 5 kg bag of white or orange maize will pay back a 50 kg of white maize or the monetary equivalent.
Mr. Lungu said farmers who will be given the vegetable package will be required to pay back the monetary equivalent of the local market cost of the two vegetable sachets that they would have been given.
