GOVERNMENT has procured 150 hammer mills and Family Drip Irrigation Systems which will be distributed to women's groups in all the constituencies as a way to promote women's economic opportunities.

Gender and Women in Development Minister Sarah Sayifwanda said when she launched the distribution of the hammer mills and the irrigation systems yesterday in Lusaka that there was need for measures which would effectively address the plight of women in order to attain development objectives.

She said the procurement of the hammer mills and the irrigation systems was an initiative that arose from the National Gender policy which calls for the creation of a development fund.

"You may wish to recall that back in 2009 Parliament unanimously agreed to appropriate K5 billion as a grant for women empowerment.

"Now the Government has procured 150 hammer mills plus Family Drip Irrigation Systems to benefit women groups in all constituencies," she said.

Ms Sayifwanda said women represent a considerable constituency in the socio-economic development of the country.

She said her office was doing everything possible to ensure that women were empowered.

"For example my office is training women in entrepreneurship skills. Apart from this, my office has also entered into partnership with COMESA cross border traders association to provide practical knowledge in meat processing, mushroom growing and jam making within our offices at the Government complex," she said.

The trained women were being linked to financial institutions like the Inter-Market Banking Corporation for soft loans as start up capital.

The minister said the hammer mills and the irrigation systems would reduce the time and energy to process their food and attend to their gardens.

"This will allow the women to perform other critical tasks which are necessary for the welfare of their families," she said.

She thanked the Ministry of Finance and National Planning for releasing the funds and the Members of Parliament for their various contributions to the process of procurement of the hammer mills and irrigation systems.

She said the hammer mills had been supplied with a back up of spare parts by SARO Agri business who were also training operators for the equipment.

She urged women to take proper care of the equipment to benefit from the hammer mills and irrigation systems.

"May I be categorical that these mills are meant for women's clubs. Please let us not divert them to different recipients," she said.

SARO farm machinery manager Jabes Mbewe said the hammer mills were manufactured locally.

Munali MP Mumbi Phiri and her Mandevu counterpart Jean Kapata briefly appeared at the handover ceremony at Government Stores.