LILIAN CHIKANDI writes
THE Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has started sensitizing farmers in Siavonga on possible crop failure this year due to poor rainfall the district was experiencing.
Siavonga district commissioner Lovemore Kanyama said farmers in the district were being encouraged to go for millet and sorghum crops which were drought resistant.
Mr Kanyama confirmed this to the Sun that a meeting was held in Chirundu’s Nbutzi ward on February, 7 in line with the mandate of government on farmers sensitization programme.
He said that he chaired the district disaster management committee meeting which focused on a number of issues, including how the government relief food would be distributed to hunger-stricken families and the criteria to be used.
Mr. Kanyama said the sensitization meeting’s focus was on the 2018-2019 farming season and government’s relief food distribution programme.
He said Siavonga district has received 100 metric tonnes of maize of which 20 percent were free food while 80 percent was food for work. Distribution was set to kick off this week.
Mr. Kanyama said that with the poor rainfall experienced in the district, farmers were urged not to panic and advised to take care of their livestock as this could help government efforts in eradicating hunger in the district.
And in another related development, a senior citizen in Chirundu district Dickson Majere has appealed to government to distribute relief food in all the 10 wards of the district.
Mr. Majere said that due to poor rainfall experienced in the district hunger was likely to strike many families.
Another resident of Sikoongo ward Dickson Kalumanda called on government to consider building a shelter in his ward to secure relief food when it was delivered to the area.‘
