PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION UNLOCKING IRRIGATION BLOCKAGES
For the farmers of Lusitu, the long wait for irrigation relief is finally over. After years of stalled efforts, action is now underway to restore water access and revive productivity. The intervention, driven by the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU), follows a high-level site visit where immediate commitments were made to resolve the bottlenecks under the Irrigation Development.
The installation of a floating pump on the Zambezi River is now set to begin within 14 days, ensuring irrigation reaches Tier 1 and Tier 3 farmlands. More than 410 farmers, who had been stranded due to equipment failures and water shortages, will finally be able to cultivate their fields with confidence.
The visit, led by Minister of Finance Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, Minister of Agriculture Mr. Ruben Mutolo, MP, and the Head of the PDU, Ms. Kusobile Kamwambi, resulted in swift action to address longstanding challenges.
“It is unacceptable that 14 years have passed with little to show,” Dr. Musokotwane emphasized during his remarks at the Lusitu reservoir. “This week, the pump will be fixed. The President has committed funding—now it’s time to deliver.”
Beyond irrigation, additional measures are now in motion, including the deployment of FRA depots in Lusitu to enhance food security, the engagement of technical experts to accelerate system repairs, and ZNS-led agricultural development, with 11 hectares already cleared for banana plantation expansion.
The government also underscored the critical role of community involvement, urging residents to protect infrastructure investments for long-term success. Past cases of vandalism had slowed progress, and leaders called for collective responsibility in securing this opportunity for future generations.
“The President has delivered water. It is now our duty as a community to protect this investment and make it succeed,” a community land trust leader declared during the engagement.
The Lusitu intervention is part of a broader Presidential Drive on Irrigation, designed to boost rural productivity, strengthen climate resilience, and secure national food stability. With similar actions unfolding across all ten provinces, Zambia is making an irreversible shift from drought vulnerability to irrigation-led prosperity.
“No one will die of hunger under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema,” reaffirmed Minister Mutolo, signaling the government’s commitment to transforming agriculture for long-term national stability.
Chirundu District, Zambia – May 8, 2025