By MILDRED KATONGO  –
THE World Bank has provided US$6million for the construction of the Lusitu Irrigation Scheme in Chirundu.
Agriculture Deputy Minister Maxas N’gonga said construction of the irrigation scheme has since commenced.
He said Government was in the process of reserving more land for irrigation purposes to counter the effects of climate change.
Mr N’gonga said in an interview that construction of irrigation schemes in the country would ensure sustainable food production and contribute to the national food basket.
He said climatic conditions kept on changing as Zambia sometimes experienced droughts.
“The World Bank has given the ministry of Agriculture funds to embark on the construction of irrigation schemes and for Lusitu, we have received $6 million and construction works have so far commenced,” he said.
Mr N’gonga said the project would serve commercial, emergent and smallholder farmers through access to irrigation.
He said the move to have enough land put on irrigation was one way of ensuring food security and income for farmers countrywide.
He said this was one of the reasons President Edgar Lungu had put emphasis on increasing land for irrigation farming.
Government was also keen on diversifying the economy by investing in agriculture and reducing dependence on copper.
“As you are aware copper is a diminishing asset, for us to have an economy that will always be stable, we need to identify the potential of other sectors. And so we are trying to diversify the economy by concentrating on agriculture activities.
“In the recent past Government has invested in agriculture and we are doing so to enable sustainable food production and foreign exchange,” he said.