Deputy Minister of Agriculture Agnes Nkusa-Nkhoma has applauded Total Land Care for donating solar panels to Msengezi Irrigation Scheme in Traditional Authority T/A Kambwiri in Salima.
Nkusa-Nkhoma expressed her gratitude with the extensive irrigation farming saying farmers continue to work extra hard despite facing hiccups in irrigation equipments.
” It is so encouraging that farmers really want to do irrigation farming extensively though there are limited and scarcity of irrigation equipments for the work to be done easily”, Said Nkusa-Nkhoma.
The deputy Minister said despite the scarcity of some equipments, she is also very grateful to total land care which donated solar panels to farmers at the scheme.
“I am very optimistic that with the good working relationship we have with NGOs, we will spearhead development in the country as evidenced here in Salima where where Total Land Care has given our farmers solar panels,” Highlighted Nkusa-Nkhoma.
Adding “This donation of solar panels here at Msengezi scheme will continue changing people’s lives as they will scale up their living standards.”
With this solar powered irrigation equipment, farmers will now be able to plant three times a year.
Nkusa-Nkhoma then revealed that their ministry will continue engaging Non-governmental Organizations ( NGOs) so that together with farmers they should collaborate in implementing the Ministry’s Irrigation Master Plan.
According to her, the Irrigation Master Plan shows that the Ministry has a potential of doing irrigation farming at over 400,000 hectres of land but currently only 150,000 hectres is being used.