The Zambian government is negotiating with the World Bank for a 50 million united states dollars loan to build irrigation dams in the country.
Sites for the large scale irrigation project have already been identified in Southern, Central and Copperbelt provinces.
Agriculture Minister, Brian Chituwo says government is of the view that small scale farmers should not depend on rain fed water.
Dr. Chituwo was speaking in Lusaka at the official launch of rural banking system organised by the National Association for Peasant and Small Scale farmers.
And Dr CHITUWO said he is optimistic that farming inputs for the 2009/2010 farming season will be delivered to districts by August this year.
Dr. Chituwo said firms involved in the distribution of fertiliser have already started the exercise.
The Minister also urged small scale farmers to practice conservation farming to retain soil fertility and increase production.
ZNBC
This makes sense than getting us Canter Hospitals and Hearses. Please re-direct the other money US$ 53 million towards this noble project. Otherwise we’re tired of inept leadership especially that Rupiah’s has not even lasted a year. It’s crowded with all sorts of smokes, hypocrisy and clowny. Please I support Dr. Chituwo and Ministry, but first don’t rush for the loan, I mean there’s plenty of money being stolen and wasted right there in Lusaka. Find money for this project, we have the stupid comedy at NCC where people deliberately don’t want to be transparent and are refuising to give parliament a say or final word on debt contraction!! What kind of a people are we, surely. A nation of Christian Hypocrites!! President Banda must resign because he is a joke to Zambian people!!!!!
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The end user should learn to pay for such services not only get for free. These dams if built will definitely bring development to these areas but if people don’t pay for they will not appreciate them and hence vandalise them in the end, and costs will be higher.
no need to get these useless loans that just leave the common man suffering while the ministers get hefty cut offs from the same 50 million. hey any similarity between the 53 ngwee and this other 50 ngwee? could be that they want to buy mobile hospitals thru ministry of agric
we are watching you ,another 50million usd ? thats a joke you must kidding you MMD chaps. why are you always contracting debts without meaningful projects ? this is why we r pushing for the law so that only parliament can endorse the contraction of such debts. Otherwise its going now where apart from their pockets,thats RB and his useless ministers. days are numbered for them. this culture of cuts !!!!
Way to go in agriculture now but a minimal fee.
OH NO! Not under this government again. That is why these loans should be debated in Parliament. Late Mwanawasa wanted winter maize and that failed but nobody talks about it or even questioned the results. This is just another way of politicians enriching themselves. Can the world bank behave like a responsible lender and decline this loan and the government has done nothing to help the small scale farmers utilise rain water. Also, the bank should look at the scandals/theft/corruption going on in government before commiting the country to further debt. The country is trying to borrow from bretton woods institutions on one hand and china on the other. Lets say NO to irresponsible borrowing!!!!!!!!!!
Much as I agree that irrigation dams will make agriculture much easier, I detest the attitude of depending on the World Bank for loans. With great loans come great obligations and even greater financial burdens.
how long will they keep on begging for loans, all the monies ends up being spent on unnecessary trips, three piece suits we are seeing on latest pics, which looks like second hand salaula from nakonde…. YSL handbags to groom nafimo fimo into a presentable First Mukule, nama breakfast pa inters, holidays, twalamona nama jeweries bala amba ukufwala nga ba poka loan, pakuti nobulungu bwa maka twabakwete, nomba utuma sikiyo twa amba uku moneka pa fikope, mwebantu!!!!