US PLEDGES TO HELP CUSHION DROUGHT CHALLENGE IN ZAMBIA

By Noel Iyombwa

IN view of the current drought being experienced in the country, the United State Government has pledged to support Zambia to ease the crisis.

Speaking during the launch of the National Crop Diversification Strategy, USAID Zambia Director Economic Development and Environment, Ms. Michelle Corzine said the United States is committed to supporting the Zambian people in getting through the immediate crisis.

Ms Corzine said the drought has devastating effects on smallholder and commercial farmers as well as the entire value-chain businesses in the agriculture sector hence the need for Zambia to build toward a more climate-smart approach to food security that is driven by private-sector reforms.

She noted that crop diversification is central to the U.S Government’s new Global Food Security Strategy Country Plan for Zambia, focusing on investments in technologies such as drought-tolerant seeds, improved water management practices, and advanced weather forecasting.

And Agriculture Minister Reuben Phiri Mtolo said the launch of the National Crop Diversification Strategy marks a significant step forward in the country’s journey toward sustainable agriculture and rural development.

The Minister stated that crop diversification strategy is built on the understanding that a single crop economy is vulnerable to climate change, market fluctuations, and soil degradation.