The Ministry of Agriculture has trained over 120 women in Kanyama township of Lusaka in sack gardening of various nutritious vegetables as part of its interventions to fight malnutrition in the area.
Lusaka District Agriculture Coordinator, Aswell Chewe says the beneficiaries are being empowered with knowledge, skills and inputs to produce vegetables in their back gardens.
Mr Chewe said the fight against malnutrition is targeting the most vulnerable households to promote the growth of vegetables such as pumpkin leaves, spinach, mustard, beetroots and carrots.
He said backyard gardens have played an important role for many years in contributing to food and nutrition security.
“Food production even on small plots or even in sacks adjacent to houses is the oldest and most enduring form of cultivation,” he said.
Mr Chewe said the department is reaching out to over 1,000 vulnerable homes out of the 30,000 targeted households this quarter.
And Provincial Nutrition Support Coordinator, Fanwell Kabila said the Scaling Up Nutrition Project, has brought various stakeholders and line ministries together to get involved in the fight against malnutrition.
Mr Kabbila disclosed that the district is targeting 314,914 beneficiaries who are intended to be reached with several interventions to fight, prevent, and reduce malnutrition.
He said the over 120 empowered women in vegetable gardening in Kanyama are part of the most vulnerable households who are being targeted with interventions to do with agriculture, fisheries, and livestock.
And Lusaka District Commissioner (DC), Rosa Zulu said the government remains committed to fighting malnutrition in the area.
Mrs Zulu said this is why various cooperating partners and government line ministries are working tirelessly to implement various interventions and initiatives such as backyard gardening and others.
She implored beneficiaries to take the opportunity availed to them seriously in order to support the efforts government and partners are making to reduce malnutrition in the district.