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Friday, April 24, 2015

200 dead as late rains, floods threaten food security – SADC





Executive Secretary, Southern African development Community, (SADC) Dr. Lawrence Stergomena Tax, has at a recent SADC Council of Ministers meeting held in Harare, Zimbabwe confirmed that late last year’s floods and rains of early this year, has threatened food security in the Southern Africa region, NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that the food security situation in the region is expected to be less than satisfactory during the 2015/16 marketing year as a result of poor rains in most parts of the region, dry spells in some areas, and floods in other areas.

Dr Tax, NaijaAgroNet learnt, expressed dissatisfaction over the situation, noting that SADC would continue to monitor the situation and support early warning for food security and vulnerability assessments in the member states.

In a report on food security assessment presented at the 34th SADC Summit held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in August last year, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the region had recorded a cereal surplus of more than 670 000 metric tonnes during the previous agricultural marketing season year.

This, according to the report, was mainly attributed to good rainfall, better access to inputs such as seeds and fertilizer, as well as credit facilities and extension services.
NaijaAgroNet also learnt that the floods of which affected parts of Southern Africa between late last year and early this year, left 200 people dead and 500,000 displaced in Malawi, while in Mozambique, about 27, 838 households suffered losses in cash crops.

Meanwhile SADC during the council meeting, deliberated on innovative ways of dealing with problems associated with changes in weather patterns, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, said it was now time for the region to seek ways to curb increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods which adversely affects key sectors of the regional economy including agriculture.

Mumbengegwi, who is also Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Minister, told NaijaAgroNet that SADC to help deal with poor rains, would invest more in regional water infrastructure development such as irrigation, allowing the region to farm all year around and not only depend on climatic conditions to deal with poor rains.

As agriculture is the backbone of most economies in southern Africa, and more than 62 percent of the SADC region’s 277 million people are dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Council of Ministers, would canvass for an increased budget allocations to agriculture as well as targeted subsidy programmes that would result in farmers accessing agricultural inputs and farm implements at cheaper rates.

Daniel Nsolibe/GEE 

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Monday, April 20, 2015

‘We’ve done lots of work on women to know their duties’


 NaijaAgroNet

 



 Apostle Henry  Iwuchukwu, Founder/Caretaker,Ark of Jesus Covenant Church International (aka Jesus is the Answer) has revealed that his church has transformed the women in the  ministry to be able to carry out their duties at home as wives, NaijaAgroNet  reports.

He made this known to NaijaAgroNe tduring the One Year Anniversary cum Mothers’ day of Women of Ark of Jesus Covenant Church in Lagos, stressing that it’s not just coming out to shine in public but also to know their duties as women and also wives.

“Today they can testify to the goodness of God that the virtuous woman as theme of the one year anniversary is most appropriate.,” Iwuchukwu said, pointed out that every woman has a responsibility which must start from the home, promising that in the next edition he will nominate a woman among themselves to speak to them and not from outside as was witnessed this year.

Pastor Mrs. Vivian Anyiam, the Women leader, had earlier confided in NaijaAgroNet that she has made sure that the women respect their husbands, take care of their children and homes. She also stated that between January and middle of April there has been fifteen naming ceremonies in the church, that the Lord is actually using the man of God to do a lot of miracle in the church.
She also said they teach them humility, even as she is building a standard in them, to take care of the less privilege, be obedient and humble themselves before God.

Equally speaking with NaijaAgroNet, the guest pastor, Pastor Mrs.Evangelist Favour Igbokwe outlined the characteristics of a virtuous woman to include trustworthiness, positive influence,  being a planner, hardworking, investing for the home, she helps her husband to become successful.
She stressed that a woman should not change overnight because the husband has noting doing again. She also confided in NaijaAgroNet that one can become rich while doing the work of God but must first of all have passion for the kingdom. She said that in a sinful and immoral society, to become a virtuous woman the church should regularly organize programmes such as witnessed today and that men and women of God should dwell on the truth and not to be afraid that raw truth would scare members away

Pastor Mrs. Iwuchukwu also spoke to NaijaAgroNet on how she has been of help in assisting the husband to take adequate care of members. According to her, she regularly calls them together for counselling.

Yet for another member, Mrs. Grace Michael, the Treasurer of Ark of God Women, being itsthe day of mothers, they are working in one accord, that is why everybody is in a beautiful andcolourful to the glory of God.

Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE

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