SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
OVER 4,000 metric tons of relief food is required in Mumbwa district to mitigate the impact of the dry spell which has hit most parts of the country, says district commissioner (DC) Felix Ndopu.
In an interview, Mr Ndopu told the Sun that according to the preliminary investigations conducted by his office in the district, the results showed that some households will be affected by the drought this year.
He however said the country has not been hit by severe hunger but will record a reduction in agricultural produce by 40 per cent compared to previous years.
“The preliminary investigations showed that not all households will be affected by the drought but that the yields were expected to drop to half a ton per hectare for small scale farmers and two to three tons per hectare for commercial farmers.
“Mumbwa district requires over 4,000 metric tons of relief food to mitigate the impact of the dry spell which has hit most parts of the country,” Mr Ndopu said.
Mr Ndopu has appealed to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to come to the aid the his district.
He has however assured the people of Mumbwa that government was making everything possible to ensure that food is provided to the affected areas and that no one will die of hunger.
The DC said the country had not been declared a disaster and people must avoid speculations but get the right information from government experts.