Friday, March 29, 2024

Good maize yield expected – Chituwo

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maize_crop-2Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Brian Chituwo says preliminary data collected by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has indicated that the country would have good maize yields this year despite some areas having been hard hit by the floods.

Dr Chituwo told ZANIS in an interview yesterday that the ministry had put in place interventions that will enable the country be food secure in the 2009-2010 season.

Dr Chituwo said government had in this year’s budget set aside K54 billion for water resource development which would promote irrigation of crops among other things.

He said out of the K54 billion, K49 billion was meant for investment to 13 small-scale holder irrigation schemes across the country while K300 million would be rural investment fund.

Dr Chituwo said the ministry would also maximize the tradition of early planting of maize by making available the early maturity maize seed to the farmers, adding that early harvest would contribute to the country’s food security.

He added the ministry would also see to it that extension officers are stationed in districts that had vacancies so that they may teach the farming communities methods that would promote crop production.

Dr Chituwo further said the ministry would also this year ensure that farming inputs are distributed on time as well as improve efficiency in the Fertilizer Support Programme (FSP).

The ministry would also promote diversification from maize to crops such as rice and cassava so as to supplement the country’s food reserves.

Dr Chituwo said a programme in Mansa had already been initiated aimed at promoting the growing of cassava which he said did not require fertilizer to grow while rice-growing would be encouraged in Mongu, Chama and Lukulu.

ZANIS/ENDS/MP/EB

9 COMMENTS

  1. sounds good but poor planning ndiye pali vuto,yu say bumper harvest today, the following month yu’re exporting b4 dawn there is maize shortage.next yu will be held responsible for giving irresponsible public info.yu must respect citizens and not make unilateral decisions that in the end put the whole nation at the laughing spot.this harvest yu’re talking about shud see us to 2010 world cup,otherwise i will be yo next agric minster………….hahahahahahaha!

  2. The maize pix looks appetizing. Glad to hear that Zed is expecting a good yeild for the year…Hopefully, you will help the farmers sale their produce with profits.

  3. Jamaco, i want to believe that it is true because it would be sad for the minister of Agriculture to issue a statement such as this one.

  4. Have you started preparing the silos or will the harvest go to waste again and you start talking about importing maize? Have you thought about how to move the produce from inaccessible remote areas? Do you have feeder roads to move the produce to markets? Have you prepared enough money to make sure farmers are apid in time? Don’t just talk because we have all this before. Good harvest amounts to nothing if there is no further planning for post harvesting – Zambia’s perenial problem. Rain or no rain – hunger looms. Good or poor harvest, humger looms. What a Country and what a people!!!

  5. This is a picture taken from Lupiya Banda’s maize Field. It’s the same old one that was threatened by the Tumbuka and Nsenga slashers when they had theirs slashed!

  6. How do you expect a bumper harvest when Nyama soya failed to deliver fertilizer on time. Dr Chituwo is lying, he doesnt know what he is talking about. Lets wait for the next rain season we will have another shortage of millie meal.

  7. FARMERS HAVE PUT IN THEIR BEST.LETS HOPE GOVERNMENT WILL MANAGE WELL THE
    ISSUE OF MAIZE MARKETING.BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT FORESIGHT ALIBE NYAMAZI,WE WILL HEAR THAT THEY HAVE IMPORTED GMOs IN DECEMBER THIS YEAR DUE TO MISMANAGEMENT.BELEIVE ME ON THIS ONE

  8. “food security” I’m really starting to hate that phrase. when the fu*k are you going to farm for money? there are millions of people in the DRC and who are ready to buy zambian maize now and you are busy blocking then.

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