Buleya Malima, Nzenga and Sinazongwe irrigation schemes to be revamped

By Dominic Chandiwila Nali

Government says it is ready to revamp Buleya Malima, Nzenga and Sinazongwe Irrigation schemes in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province.

This came to light when Agriculture Minister Reuben M’tolo inspected the three irrigation schemes.

Speaking when he address farmers in the three irrigation schemes, the Minister said government is not grabbing land from the locals but merely focusing its attention on revamping the schemes in the district.

“Government is not here to grab land from the local but to ensure that the irrigation systems in the three schemes work for the good of the nation”, Mr. M’tolo said.

He said the revamping of the three irrigation schemes will not only help to improve crop production but also ensure income, food and nutrition security amongst the locals in the district.

The Minister urged the farmers in the three irrigation schemes to start cleaning and fixing up the canals as government puts the sources together to shift the uptake of water so that the three scheme starts functioning.

“Government will find money to shift the uptake of water so that the three irrigation schemes starts working and ensure that the 330 hectares of land can be on irrigation”, the Minister urged the locals.

He also assured the farmers of government’s full authority over the development of the three schemes to ensure the safety of the facilities at the schemes.

The Minister also announced that about 1,024,434 farmers will benefit under the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) for the 2024/2025 farming season.

He said that Government under the 2024/2025 Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) will give inputs to 1,024,434 benefiting farmers.

“1,024,434 benefiting farmers will receive three by 50kg bags of compound D, another three by 50kg bag of top dressing fertilizer (Urea), 20kg bag maize seed and any other crop seed”, said Honourable M’tolo.

At speaking at the same function, Sinazongwe District Commissioner Chimunya Siakole called on the minister to increase the number of beneficiaries under the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) for the 2024/2025 farming season in the district.

Mr. Siakole said there is need to increase the number of beneficiaries from the current 3500 farmers that are benefiting from the FISP program.

“Let me report to you sir that under the Farmer Input Support Program for the 2024/2025 farming season, Alpha Commodity has so far delivered to the Sinazongwe about 4,500 by 50kg bags of Urea fertilizer”, Said Mr. Siakole.

He said that by September 2024, should be able to start receiving their inputs for the 2024/2025 farming season.

Meanwhile, Chieftainess Sinazongwe of the Tonga speaking people in Sinazongwe district has expressed happiness at government’s remedial efforts towards the revamping of the three Irrigation schemes in district.

Her Royal Highness Sinazongwe said it was exciting that government was putting up measure to ensure that her subjects in the chiefdom don’t go hungry.

“Minister, go and tell the president that my people are happy with the move government has taken to ensure that food is produced using irrigation”, said her Royal Highness Sinazongwe.

She said the move by government to support the production of food using irrigation was long overdue considering the effects of climate change the country is currently grappling with.

Chieftainess Sinazongwe said that her chiefdom has plenty of land to support all economic activities and ensure that the district is income, food and nutrition secure.