The Small-Scale Farmers Development Agency-SAFADA has welcomed the government’s declaration of the current dry spell as a national disaster.
President Hakainde Hichilema officially declared the drought the country is experiencing as a national disaster and emergency due to the destruction of one million hectares of farmland countrywide.
SAFADA Executive Director Boyd Moobwe however notes that there is a need for the government to explain how exactly it is going to assist smallholder farmers countrywide who have been affected by the drought.
Moobwe explains that the government has emphasized the need for all stakeholders to work together and improve the agriculture sector, but nothing specific has been said concerning how small-scale farmers will be assisted.
He adds that many small-scale farmers will face several economic challenges between now and May next year as they will struggle to earn a living because they have not produced maize stocks that can sustain them.