LUSAKA, Nov. 2 — Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday held talks with World Food Program (WFP) Regional Director for Southern Africa Menghestab Haile in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. The Zambian president said the discussions tackled the impact of El Nino on food security and the urgent need to mitigate its effects. “Given Zambia’s abundance of quality soil, favorable hydrology, and strategic geographic positioning, we expressed our eagerness to collaborate with WFP to produce food for export to regions affected by hunger due to conflicts and adverse weather conditions,” Hichilema said. He further said they emphasized the significance of providing technology to support water harvesting methods and precision irrigation to increase crop yields per hectare. On his part, the WFP official said he was in Zambia as part of efforts to find ways in which countries could prepare for the forthcoming El Nino, which may have devastating effects in the region.
Xinhua
