COVID 19 fuelled food deficit worries SEPA CEO Mailes Zulu-Muke
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COVID 19 fuelled food deficit worries SEPA CEO Mailes Zulu-Muke
By Derrick Sinjela
Save Environment and People Agency (SEPA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ms. Mailes Zulu Muke is
worried that Zambia’s Food Security is compromised due to the devastating impact of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) which continues to wreck global impact on humanity.
In a Tuesday
31th March 2020 Voice Recording Four Minute 25 Seconds Press Statement from
Zambezi District, North-Western Province, Ms. Zulu-Muke observed that Zambia is likely to be burdened by food insecurity, as life in general has been negatively impacted by COVID 19 consequences.
Ms. Zulu-Muke called for joint action involving Government, the private sector in mitigating the adverse effects wrought by COVID 19.
“With Coronavirus 19 which has hit the whole world, it is very clear that Zambia is going to experience food deficit. The whole country will face a shortage of food if interventions are not planned properly. Therefore, SEPA advises development partners, the private sector and the Zambian Government to support the women in gardening especially in rural areas,” advised Ms. Zulu-Muke
As urban communities do not have access to land, Ms. Zulu-Muke adminished increased irrigation support to rural women, men and young people, a prod welcomed by the Zambian Children Young People and Women in Development (ZCYPWD).
Ms. Zulu-Muke recollected that in 2017, Save Envirinment and People Agency supported a Woman Club in Kalondola, Chief Mpindi’s area, inputs and treadle pumps as a means of facilitating irrigation of their gardens.
“Women have since improved their livelihood as they are able to cultivate, harvest and sell vegetables to earn some income. I urge Zambia and everyone to support these women, which was initially funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Small Grants Programme,” Ms. Zulu-Muke observed as she called for a stop to importation of bananas, apples and vegetables.
“The only sustainable way in food security is to support local production capacity by investing in women through irrigation and ensure Water Resources and Management Agency (WARMA) guidelines that no one must cultivate on River Banks. If women can migrate their fields to upper land and given machines to irrigate, protection of water bodies from siltation, land degradation and deforestation,” admonished Ms. Zulu-Muke.
The SEPA CEO says supporting women in gardening will enhance Zambia’s food security, thus the imperative need to channel resources to irrigation activities for farming communities in rustic (rural) Zambia.
Acknowledging President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s counsel, on increased local produce flooding supermarket shelves, Ms. Zulu-Muke regretted that the presidential directive was ignored as three quarters of food displayed for sell is imported.
