Agriculture and Livestock Minister Wilbur Simuusa has challenged people doubting the authenticity of the 2013/2014 crop forecast survey results to conduct their own survey.
Mr Simuusa stated that the crop forecast uses a scientific method for obtaining data which could not be called into question.
He said it does not help the agriculture sector if stakeholders are questioning progressive developments such as the bumper harvest.
“We have produced a forecast, my message to the doubting Thomases is go and conduct your own survey and come back we compare your survey results,” Mr Simuusa said.
He said in an interview that his Ministry will welcome any other independent survey on the amount of food crops produced during the 2013/2014 agricultural season.
Mr Simuusa admitted that some areas in the country recorded low yields due to erratic rainfall.
“As much as it is true we had poor rains, the general situation is that the country recorded above normal rainfall and that should be enough to spur farmers to produce more food,” he said.
Mr Simuusa said stakeholders in the agricultural sector should be happy that Zambia has recorded a record bumper harvest.
“We should be congratulated our hard working farmers and not ridiculing the production estimates as this might discourage them from working even harder,” he said.
On Monday, Mr Simuusa revealed that Zambia has posted a projected Maize bumper harvest in the 2013/2014 farming season of above 3.3 million metric tonnes.
Please tell them off, all the non believers and naysayers will have to believe.
The truth is an average more noble person with a good head between his shoulders does believe this.
If they cant be convinced they never will be.
Thanks
Let us not be naïve here, if you want to know about Accounts you to Accountants. You want to learn about medicine you don’t argue with medical doctors. You want to learn a particular subjects at University then you entrust your lecturer.
Before you get bored of , what I am saying is if we have to believe anything relating to this bumper harvest the people we MUST believe are the Agricultural Minister and the President. Not a cattle rancher from S province or Canadian fraudster
I don’t follow politics but this is logic, it will never change and such is life. 1+1 will never change. Thus conversion wisdom stipulates we BELIEVE someone like this minister.
Political debunkers have forced people on LT to obsequiously follow blindly A 21st century mental ailment.
Thanks
Mushota, Simuusa,
We have heard greater llies from PF than this. I am a big farmer and contribute to this harvest. I have nothing to celebrate about because I faced problems last farming season. Famers in Choma/Chikanta went off GRZ to organize farming inputs, ask HH. The worst is PF failure to manage crop marketing. So you are celebrating bumber harvest in which you have no inputs. Kwacha is falling. Chaotic government.
This is what happens with liars, people stop believing them. You made your bed, please sleep in it !
The haters are annoyed this this news.Cant wait to hear from chief bitterman HH.
Janza, there is no correlation between this mega harvest and the temporal, I repeat temporal small devaluation of the Kwacha.
The kwacha will RISE and get stronger in no time at all.!
You talk of the inputs in Choma/Chikankata do you realise this government has been frustrated to impose mandate on people from Choma (Southern province) because they have been brainwashed by UPND
May I suggest you pass the message to those areas you are referring to, to VOTE PF in 2016 as MP’s and presidential elections because that is the only way they will enjoy what is being enjoyed by Lusaka Copper belt, Northern etc who are very happy with PF.
PF must be embedded in Choma, your tears will be washed away by PF government. A party that has performed better than the Conservatives here in the UK
Thanks
Bwana Minister you went into government using lies… where is our constitution we paid for? You expect us to believe this new lie?
@mushoto
you must be a serious 1diot to think on C/B behalf that they are enjoying for having elected pf. am on C/B and silently suffering. by the way, amataba tabalakopola mumabala, what system are you using to arrive at the projection. what I know is when people have gathered the produce and put in measurable buns can they project how much will be number of bags. ba pf what do you want to gain by telling lies on the harvest? this is ridiculous
I have no doubt in my mind that Simuunza has read my blog. He is now panicking to authenticate his lies after realising that some us big farmers are doubting the PF’s gimmick authorise PF cadres and Musungu Opuusa’s white friends to export maize despite the impending poor maize harvest in real terms when all the crop has been harvested and ready for sale.
Simuunza you have just put your job on the line for lying on Sata’s behalf. When the truth unravels Sata will fire you for lying to the nation and replace you with another useless minister.
PF is panicking now because us in UPND and HH camp, the real farmers are quietly making our own independent survey to establish the extent of the damage caused by PF’s poor agricultural policies last farming season.
PF are liars day…
Mushota#1 #1.5
On the one hand, Mushota, you are jumping around and wallowing in your own arrangements characterised by poorly inserted words. On the other hand, you seem to be excited by your conventional beliefs in posting comments which encompass a language that has remote similarities with English. Situate yourself in a fixed condition, for lack of an appropriate term which I can use to define your ‘low prestige’ , thus I use the concept of ‘ fixed condition’ above. Furthermore, if you are in a state of fluidity, then critically interrogate your personal traits/characteristics prior to labelling Tongas and distorting their structures and institutions. Many Tongas are very educated and, are tactical in their reasoning and responses. Viva HHHH, viva UPND. Some researchers lie.
Mushota#1 #1.5
You sound as though, the rest of Zambians are doing Tongas a favour when HH and other Tongas counter criminal activities perpetuated by PF militants. You are wrong and I have identified you as an active representative of a gang which lacks relevant skills insofar as to engage an opponent diplomatically, in lieu of distorting simple facts and labelling genuine victims as docile, passive and vulnerable to your devilish intentions masked in righteous discursive language. Viva HH, viva UPND.
Assuming the Bumper Harvest projection is accurate,how does PF government claim credit for this achievement.It is a fact that:-
a) PF government has reduced the quantity of fertilizer and other input requisites
given to each farmer.
b) Both fertilizer and seed packs were distributed late to farmers resulting in some farmers borrowing these from well to do friends.
c) Input costs sky rocketed making farming a very expensive venture to undertake.This is due to poor fiscal policies of PF.
PF should avoid claiming credit where it is not due.Merely praise the zambian farmers for their resilience.
If they (PF administration – or politicians for that matter)wonder why it’s hard for people to believe what they say, they should examine their actions and speech. Since before coming to power, they made promises, most of which have been abandoned or denied with excuses. One only retrace the headlines from the past few years and to remind themselves; some gains have been made but they are quickly rendered moot by the ineptitude and greed of the few (typical in the realm of Zambia’s politics).There is no distinct plan they seem to follow to ensure that the country has viable and self-sustaining sources of income. Building/ and repairing infrastructure is good but with little or no sources of income, they will soon fall to ruin raising costs across the board exponentially. You dnt see it…
It is true that I have produced more than last year on a Commercial basis but this has nothing to do with PF’s substandard seed and toxic fertilizer. I am purely an organic farmer and FRA won’t taste my Harvest! It’s all DRC bound and the forex will go straight into my pocket!
Ubupuba bubi!
It is not bad to give a forecast but to want to claim credit where you have messed up is quite annoying. Also to want to count your chickens before eggs hatch is pure fo0lishness!
We need less government in business.
I have come to love Chiluba (MHSRIP). His Macro-economic fundamentals were spot on!
It was unfortunate that the ones he trusted misled him in the end and despite him finding no substance in them, Hell knows why and how we today find ourselves in this hell of a mess!
Tell them bwana minister.They are blind to the truth because that’s what they want to believe.Most of the times people only see what they want to see and only hear what they want to hear.They are basically in denial which is typical of the opposition in Africa.
We will only believe in that Maize-bumper fimofimo, when we see oveflow of meal-meal on the market. No more pamelas. And we want to see full train wagons of Maize crossing to from Chipata to Nampula port in Mozambique for export to Kenya and donate some to your friends in South Sudan.
What truth? You’ve been telling lies from the time of your 90 days promises, constitution, POA, Sata’s health etc. It is difficult for people to now believe anything that comes out of your mouths. You are LIARS!
Saulosi
So called bumber harvest is 1 thing, crop marketing is another, kwacha falling in your reign is 1 sign of failing. Economy is integrated as one variable does not optimize all variables. To this you will say theory bcz of your low knowledge. We are still persmistic with PF. Our goal is to put Zambia backon track with new knowledge based managers. The minimum std we want is Levy’s+Magande. They proved to us that knowledge based management of economy works supper, not your mediocity, lump noises.
Ha ha ha thats the trouble when you look at all issues while putting on politically tinted glasses.
Nostradamus & Goncalves, you have worked hard to create the image of liar for the PF government, so you wouldn’t take it lying down that this government can do something good for once.
The none interference in the export market for maize and the allowing of market forces to dictate the price of mealie meal has motivated commercial farmers to grow maize in this manner. Farmers should even start investing in mini-milling plants to dismantle the cartel behaviour of the big millers belonging to MAZ. Cooperative unions owning granding mill machines in rural areas must be able to do very well and avoid having small scale farmers exploited by MAZ members.
PF, you cannot have everything right the first time, but keep striving for the best for Zambians and you will get there.
Dont mind them sir ! They are questioning it because where we come from whatever your opponent does is never good enough.The opposite of whatever the ruling party does is always the best in the eyes of the opposition in Africa.They have a weird logic.
Truth be told, this was just a forecasts or a projection and there is no need for the Government to start behaving like they have money in the bank. I think work is far from over and the Minister and the President know that all this maize they are claiming is NOT in FRA sheds. There is a lot that still need to happen before they can start blowing their horns. Just yesterday we heard a chief who was complaining of bad roads and wondering how he will take his maize to a safe place. Bring the maize under the FRA shed and then go on facebook and boast. Don’t boast on speculations.
The price of Mealie Meal today tells the truth: a true story that maize is not in abundant supply, with exports allowed, this could turn out ugly
Wait, forecasts can and are relied upon.
I am sure you have a job, if your employers tell you you will have a 3% rise to your salary wouldn’t it be prudent to start planning for that money knowing that it will come to fruition.
Numbers do not lie, the projection done here is the same projection that we know of, that UPND and MMD will not win the presidential elections in 2016. The same projection that says we will all die one day, what is lies about this?
Your analysis is often spot on but sadly here you have let yourself down badly.
You have seen cars being driven in Lusaka of late, the happiness on workers, even with constraints such as growing population the West TRUSTS zambia now than at any stage during the past 27 years.
Those are facts sir.
Thanks
MMD Chief Bootlicker ressurected? All such lies are due to the Catholic Church. Look at their silence!
Ba Mushota you are truly dumb. A 3% rise to your salary is an agreement and not a forecast or projection. Salary agreements are usually signed by both parties and as long as you have access to such an agreement, you are bound start planning. To give you an example of your salary rise, your PF projected to increase workers salaries by 200%. Do you know what actually came out? Well when time came for workers to pocket the cash, some workers found they had been given only 1%. What we have now is bunch of known liars cooking up bumper harvest figures that will surely hide their failures all over the place.
@MMD Chief Bootlicker – because there is a lot more work to do is not the reason not to celebrate when a good thing happens. You of course know that all over the world, economies function on projections. An economy is not like a bank account that should have a certain bank balance. It is a combination of factors working together for the well being of society . The strength of an economy is on projections – how can you build a road if you do not project that it will be used? Do you really think America would have gone to war in Iraq if they did not project the economic benefits to their economy?
This projection is good – transporters, bankers, millers etc all of them are now position their assets to be part of this good news. And of course as you know the market will respond…
We never used to doubt the crop forecasts during the MMD rule. We had no reason to doubt them because they were not habitual nor congenital liars. But for the PF…it’s been lies from day one. Please PF this is how it goes….once people lose trust in you there’s no way they can re-elect you. Take it from me….come 2016 you are out. The thing is once you see the lips of a PF Minister, President or any official moving 99 out of 100 times he or she is lying. PF=Liars.
@MMD Chief Bootlicker
Thanks my bro for educating some of these agriculture illiterate PF bafoons who have not a single clue as to what goes into crop production from planting to harvesting.
Simuunza has based his estimates on land planted with maize, forgetting that most of the maize in those fields will only produce cobs with about 10 grains on them due stunted growth caused by late application of fertilizer and poor rain.
No amount of spin will change the perception that PF are poor project planners and finishers.
One is telling us why there is a wage freeze and yet the cost of living rising rapidly. They are boasting of an economic growth and they have imposed a wage freeze.When we said the wage freeze is as a result of Budget over run, they denied it.
Only UPND can…
Bootlicker, you used to praise MMD over the same forecasts.What has changed?
Good analysis Chief Bootlicker. A projection is only as good as the data used. I have a serious stake in Maize Farming and I have not met these people who conducted this survey and I have asked a lot of my colleagues who are Big Maize farmers about it and they are all expressing shock. PF politics at play here, no doubt about it.
Mushota’s comments, not different from how we know her…Chief PF Bootlicker. My advise; Lets wait for the harvest then we shall compare it to the announced projection just as we have done with “90 days development”
“Kind of cars being driven of late in Lusaka” that is a poor economic analysis just, a demo for you Mushota; I own fifteen cars of which two are posh ones. I know GBM owns not less than 100 vehicles, posh and the like. Non of my relatives…
@ Kalu
Can you believe pathological liars?
Let us wait for the actual tonnage harvested and then make comments based on factual figures.
Until then, why singing the praise to Minister who was not in that position during the planting season? For understanding how MS Excel work?
DO U ALL KNOW THAT THE PERSON U CALL SAULOSI & MUSHOTA IS ACTUALLY OPPER HAMIYANZI USING 7 NAMES
Dream on dude.
@judge
sailotsi is some cantankerous character benefiting from pf family tree in europe, that is why he is vehemently and blindly defending the undefendable. just ignore the 1diot coz he doesn’t know what is obtaining on the ground
That moment when somebody`s political inclinations makes him to lose his sense of reasoning and as a result resorts to insults to make him feel better about himself.Relax Matipa high time you realized that people can`t have the same opinions all the time.
@sailotsi
in europe we perceive it as an oasis of education you still fail to understand that 1diot is a description of a low level thinking category and not an insult. need you start ‘studying’ the dictionary? take this opportunity to read while you are there. back here in zambia education is a luxury
@Matipa it may not be an insult, but i still don`t expect a person who claims to be an intellectual like you do to use words like that all because somebody doesnt agree with your view or opinion.It is a sign of weakness when somebody discards reasoning in a rational way in preference for words like that.
The choice of words speaks volume about the character of the person.Matipa must be one of those guys that grew up in abject poverty and likely a prosti-tute mother and alcoholic father.Only kids from dysfunctional homes enjoys insults.
@ Mark
R U trying to say that most probably grew-up in your family?
A spade is a spade. For sure a bumper harvest has been achieved by the PF Government
There is no yet “bumper harvest” jerk.
PF has achieved 00/00.
Predictions and factuality are two different issues.
PF has recorded bumper lies in the history of Zambian politics.
All you singers of the liar chorus are starting to be extremely annoying and monotonous. By 2016, nobody will even listen to your lie blumber. Get a life! I have just decided to buy a hammer mill for my family in the rural. This will mitigate the impact of high mealie meal prices for my family, who are also boosting of having plenty mapopwe!
@Mr Facts
Yours is the best post today. Very true, PF should be on the Guinness book of world record for producing the bumper harvest of lies in the history of Zambian politics.
On lies yes we accept hands down they are the worst.
we will not buy this lies from you pf after all you failed to support the farmers so if anything praise the farmers for not failing to be discouraged you paya farmers indeed the pipo of zambia have realised that hopeless govt will not give this nation anything good. for a break now give the pipo a good marketing prize for thier effort and allow them to export so that they enjoy the benefit of their hard work
But it is not true that PF did not support the farmers. NCZ was revamp after many years of closure by MMD. It produced over 70,000 metric tones of D-compound which was distributed as early as June-July way before the rain season. Urea was imported from Saudi Arabia – there were logistical challenges but in over 90% of the communities the fertilizer reached on time and people used it. We also thank God – she gave us enough rains.
You are right though on the good floor price. The PF is a listening government they may add a K1 or 2 to the K65 price.
Mwamonen wasekesha sana! You are the first person I have comne across who refers to JEHOVAH GOD as SHE! LOL!
You are either a serious feminist or a woman.
So hon. Sichinga was a good Agric Minister afterall.
Ba Mushota you are truly dumb. A 3% rise to your salary is an agreement and not a forecast or projection. Salary agreements are usually signed by both parties and as long as you have access to such an agreement, you are bound start planning. To give you an example of your salary rise, your PF projected to increase workers salaries by 200%. Do you know what actually came out? Well when time came for workers to pocket the cash, some workers found they had been given only 1%. What we have now is bunch of known liars cooking up bumper harvest figures that will surely hide their failures all over the place.
A politicians tale has no ending!
I have bought a 2nd vehicle (toyota spacio) and will put it into the station as a pirate taxi. My driver will be cashing K200 per day, that means k1200 per week and ultimately k4800. As an analogy to the bumper harvest forecast, i will have K28800 in 6 months enough to pay bride price. This is a scientific forecast, if you are arguing, go and conduct your own survey then bring the results we compare
you 1diot must be very dull. you should have factored in cost of service, cost of spare parts and salary of your driver. simple things become difficult? school is important mwe. you are no different from samusa who counts chicks before they are hatched
@Matipa
You are spot on my bro .These PF minions have no clue about economic forecasts at all. That why HH called them CNP.
They think economic projections are like going to the toilet and forecasting that they will definitely sh1t.
What a bunch of f00ls they all are.
PWI you have cracked my ribs…hahahahahahaha…your projection is scientific I can’t argue.
This is what happens when you have told so many lies in the past, even the truth is not believed. Nice projections but most of the produce is from commercial farmers who will most likely export all their maize since FRA offers peanuts, in long run, its the poor Zambian people who will suffer, hence the skepticism of the real value of this bumper harvest. Will only give my thumbs up when the price of millie meal comes down.
People everyone is free to express themselves here and I for one I used to borrow alot in the mmd gvnt! nomba tuleumfwabwino and we pray very hard that God grant us more years so that the pf wins again in 2016!
Now officials have to fight hard to convince the people their
stats are accurate. People should have confidence in their govt. But congenital lying by the PF and its president has created this atmosphere of distrust.
Most of the people supporting the forecast are missing the point. A survey is one type of inductive reasoning. It does not mean that whatever is predicted will occur, but will “probably occur”. The word PROBABLY is very crucial. The conclusion is not certain.
Instead of diversifying the empty tin is talking anout projections.
Mushota speaks like a demented, disillusioned and deranged Minister!
Bumper harvest of lies.
‘Mr Simuusa stated that the crop forecast uses a scientific method for obtaining data which could not be called into question.’
Yamfwa Mukanga once used such words when concern was expressed about that car fitness machine ku Mimosa. He declared that it was state of the art and that government would never ever decommission it! Over their dead bodies!…. a month later, it was decommisioned. With PF, this is their modus operandi. yap yap yap with no substance and then their disciples will come on here and yap some more. In the end, it all goes to sh!t anyways.
People should learn to accept the truth, it is surprising that Dr Mumba is disputing the figures because the bumper harvest has been achieved by the PF Government. He should not forget that there has been no govt in the history of Zambia that has worked hard like the PF Government. Congratulation to our PF Government. In addition, l like Mushota postings on LT
Thats not the news some people want to here SIr!
Try this :
The poverty levels in zambia have risen due to the high cost of mealimeal selling at $1bn per bag. The world bank has since called on the UN to assist in the crisis.
They are already calling their man incoming president. Anything positive towards the government is not welcome news and they start chanting lies while forgetting that their man is a chief liar and appearing in court for it.
Some Zambians are a shocking lot. Surely don’t we believe in ourselves succeeding? There is a projected bumper harvest and we cant believe it. These opposition leaders have been predicting hunger for Zambia since Sata came into power and they have been proved wrong. They have no strategy at all apart from criticising without proof and solutions. They are just a bunch of losers who will never win come 2016.
Not with PF’s consistence in lies.
Sick! Driving from Livingstone to Chililabombwe does not give you this hope of a bumper harvest. I recently saw a lot of fields where the maise looked like it had dried prematurely. So, where is this forecast coming from?
Hahahaha…, I wonder who ‘their man is’! Do you think Sata is less liar because he is not appearing in court? Just because of immunity, otherwise, he is a jail candidate!
If a PF official tells me that someone is dead, who I know was sick, i would not believe it until i see the body in the mortuary or casket. they are unreliable
Bwana minister, don’t be surprised that people are calling your pronouncements lies.
1. The normal channel of communicating findings of a survey were not followed.
2. You are not the right person to be making this announcement, not even the president
3. Who and where are the scientists who carried out the survey?
We need to know the methodologies used to carry out this survey.
We need to know the population size.
We need to know areas that were included in the survey?
We need to know how robust the survey was.
We need to know of any conflict of interest or bias of the team involved in sampling collecting, and analysing the data.
The times of Inde bwana without questing are gone. This is an evidence based era!
It is called “yield per hectare,every farmer who wants to maximize gains will use this approach.If you have 20 hectares of farm land you should know how many bags of maize you are getting from each hectare. You just don`t plant blindly and hope for the best.There are professionals in farming called Agronomists, i am sure they did this survey and unless someone well vested in this field can challenge the Minister i shall respect his projection and wait for the actual. Word of advice, blogging is different from farming wear some bush attire and boots, go on the ground get some facts then come and blog intelligently. I can not argue with an soil Scientist because that’s not my specialization.
If you always looking for bad things in people, that’s what you get.
Bumper harvest on paper.Bwesheni ubunga tumone eeei..Next week reduce since you have announced and it should be in line of reduction.No round tables kindly confirm Sir..