INVEST MORE IN IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT, GOVT URGED

By GIDEON NYENDWA Government should invest more in irrigation equipment for small scale famers to nable them to continue producing crops throughout the year which can supplement   any deficit  , Small Scale Farmer’s Development Agency (SAFADA) director Boyd Moobwe  has said. Mr Moobwe said government should put up proper mechanisms that will embrace irrigation farming in Zambia. “Irrigation is the only way in which our farmers can diversify and grow other crops aside maize during the course of the year,” said Mr. Moobwe. Mr.  Moobwe said it is only with proper irrigation equipment that that this can come to play because small scale farmers do not have access to water like commercial farmers. Mr. Moobwe further said that it is dangerous to just depend on  rain fed crops because of climate change   this could be a threat to  food security. “When we have droughts we always suffer because we do not have enough food,” he said. And Mr. Moobwe has called on government to look into the issue of land ownership for small scale famers because   famers can invest on a particular land and are later asked to vacate or relocate to another place because government wants to construct something on that land. He further said sometimes chiefs ask farmers to vacate because they want to do something on the land.