Disaster victims happy with intervention crops
Farmers from Salima Agriculture Development Division (ADD) have said they are doing well with the early maturing and drought-resistant cassava and sweet potato seeds they received from government after the floods and dry spell in January this year.
One of the farmers, Jonathan Nguluwe, said they have since agreed to create nurseries in their homes to preserve the crops for future use.
Said Nguluwe: “We have learned a lesson from the disasters and have decided to create nurseries for the hybrid cassava and sweet potato from where we will harvest seed.”
According to Salima ADD programme manager, Adreck Benati Banda, the disaster affected 1 548 hectares of land and 5 327 farming households that government gave cassava seed enough for 127 hectares and sweet potato vines enough to plant on 100 hectares.
Said Beneti Banda: “We are encouraging farmers to use irrigation to supplement the residual moisture where land is drying up so that they do not lose crop which is already doing well.”
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development introduced the hybrid cassava and sweet potato programme as a potential food security measure.
Deputy director for agriculture research in the ministry, Ibrahim Benesi, said they have managed to reach out to many farmers in twenty districts across the country and the response from farmers has been overwhelming. n
