Government has handed over a hammer mill and 10 treadle pumps to vulnerable farming communities worth K118.86 million Kwacha in Limulunga District of Western Province. Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Permanent Secretary Beatrice Chilomo explained the aim of…

Government has handed over a hammer mill and 10 treadle pumps to vulnerable farming communities worth K118.86 million Kwacha in Limulunga District of Western Province.

Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Permanent Secretary Beatrice Chilomo explained the aim of Government is to boost and empower household food security and reduce poverty in rural districts.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mrs Chilomo said the drive to rural economic growth and the fight for food security through agricultural equipment is one way of ensuring the mechanisation, sustainable farming and value addition at local level.

“This effort Government is making is to drive rural improved agriculture practices and fight food insecurity in rural areas,” the Permanent Secretary noted.

 Mrs Chilomo said the equipment handed over to local communities of Soopu area in Limulunga District is a living testimony of improving and promoting agriculture mechanisation through modern technology under the government’s Food Security Pack (FSP) programme.

And Western Province Assistant Secretary Mubitelela Sililo cautioned the community of Soopu to guard the equipment received jealousy.

Mr Sililo said with the coming of the treadle pumps, advised the communities to expand their cultivation fields in order to get more yields.

“The treadle pumps will allow farmers to irrigate their crops year-round, while the hammer mills will eliminate the need for the locals to travel long distances just to process their maize”, He said.

Meanwhile, Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) representative Induna Mayunyi- Chingumbe Chingumbe expressed gratitude to Government for the timely intervention that will significantly improve the lives and economic status of the community.

Induna Mayunyi-Chingumbe Chingumbe said the introduction of the machinery is expected to build community resilience and foster economic growth from the traditional way of practices to modern ones.

“With climate change affecting traditional, rain-fed agriculture, the introduction of this machinery is expected to build community resilience and foster economic growth,” the Induna resounded.

The community also thanked Government for the hammer mill and 10 treadle pumps, saying that they would walk a distance of two hours to get their maize processed into mealie meal.