He told journalists that a team of engineers was currently in the area to conduct feasibility studies.  He added that contracts would be awarded as soon as the engineers were done with their studies. Mr. Gariba said the dams were going to significantly help farmers to raise crop production levels and improve their livelihoods.

They would now be able to do all-year cropping and that would boost their incomes.

He indicated that the present situation where many of the people had been struggling to find water for their animals would also end. The DCE touched on the ‘planting for food and jobs’ programme and said the district was focusing on establishing cashew plantations because the land there had been found to be suitable for that particular crop.

Cashew could be processed into juice and the nuts exported to bring in foreign exchange.

He encouraged the young people to take to farming, saying, “It is a rewarding business”.

He said the chiefs in the area had agreed to release land to the youth, who wanted to go into agriculture and asked that all such people registered with the district assembly. He gave the assurance that they would be supported with the necessary inputs.

Mr. Gariba called for the people to embrace the government’s agriculture programmes to boost food security and create jobs and wealth for themselves