By HOPE BWALYA –
THE Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) has said that Zambia is currently under a dry spell which has led to  most parts of the country not to receive normal rain.
The ministry of Agriculture will start assessing the food situation in the country in line with the prevailing weather conditions.
ZMD director, Jacob Nkomoki said the prolonged spell was as a result of a persistent continental dry airflow from the South-East coming from the lower atmosphere across Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Mr Nkomoki said this in a statement in response to a query in Lusaka yesterday.
“The current dry spell has mainly affected the southern parts of Zambia, that is the area covering Southern, Western, Lusaka, Central and Eastern provinces. Most of these places have recorded less than 40mm of rainfall,” he said.
He said apart from the dry spell affecting most parts of the country, Lusaka, Southern and Western provinces, were likely to have less rainfall as a result of the El-Nino weather pattern.
In September last year, ZMD said Zambia had a likelihood of receiving normal to below normal rainfall in the 2015/2016 rainy season.
The rainfall pattern was attributed to the El-Nino signal that would continue until April, 2016.
Mr Mkomoki said farmers should plant short term varieties of crops because the planting season has been shortened.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda said a food assessment survey would soon be carried out to help plan the Government ahead.
Mr Lubinda, however, was concerned with the food levels in areas that would receive less rainfall.
“I am concerned about places where there might not be enough rains as this will compromise the food security in households,” he said.
He said it was too early to state what kind of relief supplies would be taken to areas threatened with hunger.
Mr Lubinda prayed that God provides the country with adequate rains.