MINISTER of Agriculture and Livestock Given Lubinda says agriculture has enormous potential to be the engine of Zambia’s economy if well harnessed.
Mr Lubinda said in Kitwe that the agricultural sector is key to the creation of decent jobs and acceleration of national economic development.
He said Government has identified agriculture as one of the key productive sectors that can contribute significantly to the transformation and sustainability of a strong economy.
He said the delivery of over 14,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser under Fertiliser Input Support Programme (FISP) to all parts of the country demonstrates Government’s commitment towards the development of the agricultural sector.
He said Government has taken steps to diversify the economy in order to reduce dependence on mining, which is currently the mainstay of the country’s economy.
“The agricultural sector is one sector that can contribute significantly to economic growth of the country and reduce poverty, especially in rural areas,” Mr Lubinda said.
He also encouraged farmers to not only concentrate on growing maize but ensure they grow a variety of drought -resistant crops in view of the unpredictable rainfall pattern.
He said Government will do its part in overcoming challenges that hinder the agricultural sector from achieving its full potential.
He said young people should also venture into farming rather than just looking for jobs in the formal sector.
Government increased the budgetary allocation to agriculture from K3.5 billion in the 2014 national budget to more than K4 billion in 2015.
Bo lubinda all of us know that agriculture has great potential but what successive governments have failed is to turn this potential into actuality. You want to continue with maize growing, using the same strategy and you expect different results?! Value addition at village level is key here. Small scale machines is the key
Useless minister singing the same song that we are used to all the time. Action is what’s required. All past gvts have spent billions on agriculture research and Zambia has the highest number of doctors in agriculture related fields with nothing to show of in terms of results in agricultural production. Stop the nonses and start working.
“Ati baleipusha imbwa ngeifwele”. Little wonder South Africa has taken advantage of our idiosyncrasies and are flooding our country even with such produce as Tomato.
How can the whole Livingstone town import vegetables from RSA when nature has provided the mighty Zambezi river waters free from time immemorial and we are still crying foul?
Ine l cease to be zambian from this point. I am just landless….
The Government to focus on FARM BLOCK PROJECTS.
DA PROJECTS MANAGEMENT CEO ANDRE LEMMER.
INVITING INVESTORS AND EXPERIENCED FARMERS
TO CONTACT Andre Lemmer: [email protected]
Projects guideline to successful Farm development :
1. Government Led..
2. Private sector-commercial driven projects..
3.Community Small-rural farmer based..
EMPOWER & STRONG LEADERSHIP KEY TO-
SUCCESS OF MEGA SHARE BLOCK FARM PROJECTS.
Lubinda you are not paid to make silly announcements. We are yet to see the policies of the MMD/PF led government since Lungu has deviated from the PF policies of 2011 he had no mandate. PF was elected on the policies and manifesto of 2011 and since Lungu has changed his position he can not continue to lead the nation. He has to seek a new mandate now and not in 2016 since he has moved away from PF & Sata’s vision which were his campaign for election. He can seek a new mandate to implement RB’s policies since he has no policies and vision of his own or as mother person who has a vision should take over and save us from RB & Sons corrupt and useless administration
Meant or let another person not mother
sorry to divert but is the song by Pilato not defamatory? In as much as I didn’t vote for one EL, I think it’s too direct
Mr. Lubinda needs to lead the way in converting the potential into reality. You can’t be talking potential for 51 years!
the same gvt calls farmers bakachema derogatively
very f00lish
The whole of Lubinda uttering such nonsense. From 1964 to 2015 our country has literary failed to even manufacture a table spoon.
Lubinda has to continue yapping such to make himself relevant. Shame ba cimbwi no plan or is it chumbu mushololwa! Lol
Bo Lubinda provide local farmers with machinery and construct dams country wide and don’t depend on how much rainfall we receive each season? We’re lucky in zambia at list all provinces of our country has a big river along it, just to remind you in case you have forgotten zambia’s geography- Luapula, Chambeshi, Luangwa, Kafue, and Zambezi.
BA LUBINDA THAT SONG IS LONG-OVER-DUE. JUST START IMPLEMENTING. GRZ, REALLY AMAZES ME. THERE WAS SMUGGLING OF ESSENTIALS (maize meal, sugar, etc) FROM ZAMBIA TO CONGO, ZIMBABWE, etc IN THOSE DAYS TO DATE. THE ANSWER TO THAT BY GRZ WAS PUNIC AND BLOCKING TRADE INSTEAD OF SEEING EXPORT OPPORTUNITY THEREFORE INCREASED FARMING INCENTIVES TO FARMERS TO PRODUCE MORE FOR EXPORT NOT ONLY AFRICAN COUNTRIES BUT TO OVERSEAS, TOO. GIVEN, EVERY MINI-STAR SINGS THE SAME SONG. ARE YOU YOURSELVES NOT BORED OF IT? WITH PLENTY OF FERTILE LAND, WATER AND ENERGETIC HUMAN RESOURCES DO YOU NEED TO CONTINUE SINGING THE SAME BORING SONG? THE IDEA OF FARMING BLOCKS IS BRILLIANT…
…from @12
BUT, FARMING BLOCKS CAN’T WORK IN ISOLATION FROM OTHER NECESSARY DELIBERATE POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATIONS SUCH AS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DAMS FOR IRRIGATION, RELATED PROCESSING AND PACKAGING PLANTS OR MINI MFEZs TO PROCESS WHATEVER IS BEING PRODUCED THERE, EXCELLENT RAIL AND ROAD NETWORKS TO THE TOWNS OF ZAMBIA AND TO THE BOARDERS OF ZAMBIA FOR QUICK AND EFFICIENT EXPORT TO NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES AND YONDER. IN EFFECT THESE FARMING BLOCKS BECOME PRODUCTIVE AND PROCESSING TOWNS AND MODERN VILLAGES. THIS IS INSTEAD OF SPENDING MILLIONS TO ARREST SMUGGLERS OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES TO OTHER COUNTRIES. ZAMBIA ALWAYS HAS BORING POLITICIANS WITH SAME SONGS ALL THE TIMES. PLEASE, OPPORTUNITIES IN SOME OF THESE MENACES. ZAMBIA SHOULD PRODUCE AND PROCESS ENOUGH TO FEED CONGO AND OTHERS.
No wonder KK used to call them styupid idyots! He has just this minute discovered Zambia has agricultural potential! It’s better to keep quiet than to open your trap and showcase your stup!dity. If only these punks could think with their heads instead of their bellies they would realise that failing to turn Zambia into the bread basket of Africa it has the potential to be, is a testament to their incapacity to be leaders of a nation. 50 years on and the country with the most water resources in central and southern Africa has degenerated to the bottom step of the most impoverished nation on earth. You heard it from the ass’s own mouth, if Lubinda had known twenty years ago what he now knows, that Zambia can single-handedly feed Africa, he probably would have done something about it.
Just pay transporters who ferried the FRA maize in July last year & transported your FISP fertiliser in December. No good bragging when you have outstanding debts to your citizens. PF and agriculture, failure all the way.