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The government in collaboration with Japan has officially launched the Emergency Response to El Nino Drought on Smallholder Farmers in the country to enhance resilience through the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The project will accelerate the recovery from recent drought and build the further resilience of the people, approximately 6,000 small-scale farmers in Kafue and Chilanga districts of Lusaka Province, who have been severely affected by the recent drought.
Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Takeuchi Kazuyuki and Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary John Mulongoti officially launched the project in Chilanga on Wednesday.
Under the programme, the climate-resilient and sustainable farming practices, including the adoption of organic farming and appropriate agricultural technologies, to improve productivity in the face of unpredictable weather conditions will be promoted.
Secondly, agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilisers, and tools will be distributed to small-scale farmers by using an efficient and transparent evoucher system, enabling timely and equitable assistance to them.
Thirdly, the project will repair water points will be repaired and install solarpowered irrigation systems in selected communities will be installed, in order to improve access to water resources and enhancing resilience to drought.
Lastly, early warning information will be provided to high-risk communities, helping them to prepare for and mitigate the impact of extreme weather events in the future.
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In his address, Kazuyuki stated that the project, funded by the Government of Japan, would be implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
“In order to swiftly address this crisis, the Government of Japan has mobilised 750,000 US dollars through its supplementary budget for FY2023 to launch this emergency support project in partnership with FAO,” he highlighted.
He said the project builds upon the achievements of the (Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA’s) grassroots cooperation, and seeks not only to respond to the current crisis but also to contribute to long-term resilience and prosperity for farming communities in the area.
Similary, Mulongoti said the project would be implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and FAO.
“The project implementation will be aligned to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit framework of the disaster response plan linking all interventions to the most urgent needs,” he said.
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