By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –
GOVERNMENT has adopted climate smart agriculture approaches into the agricultural development planning and investment strategies in light of the climatic conditions.

. Lubinda

Agriculture and Livestock Minister Given Lubinda said that Government was now promoting a climate smart agriculture approach which involves the direct incorporation of climate change adaptation.
This includes the mitigation measures into agricultural development planning and investment strategies.
Mr Lubinda said in Kasama that the promotion of community based smallholder irrigation schemes was one of the strategies that Government has adopted to increase areas under irrigation.
“Irrigation when properly harnessed can guarantee three harvests of high crop yields. This will not only increase production and productivity amongst irrigating households, but also create employment at production, processing and marketing levels thereby contributing to poverty reduction,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said Zambia was endowed with more than 40 per cent of water resources found in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and 2.75 million hectares of potential land for irrigation.
Mr Lubinda said regrettably, only less than 200,000 hectares were currently under irrigation.
He said small scale farmers were irrigating only about 4,000 hectares of land saying that the Government would continue to adopt strategies that would promote sustainable growth in the agriculture sector.
Mr Lubinda commended the Japanese Government for promoting sustainable growth through crop diversification.
Japan was also promoting a project on community based smallholder irrigation in Northern, Luapula and Muchinga provinces.
The ultimate goal of the project is to enhance food security of the country through promoting irrigated agriculture in community based smallholder irrigation schemes.