President Edgar Lungu has disclosed that solar powered hammer mills to be set up in the 10 Provinces have been bought and will soon be delivered to various districts.
President Lungu says Government is working with the Zambia Cooperative Federation -ZCF- to set up solar powered hammer mills in order to address the price of mealie meal in the country.
He said government is working with ZCF because it recognizes the importance of a strong cooperative movement which will help restore many challenges that people in the agriculture sector are facing.
The Head of State was speaking in a speech read for him by Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda in Lusaka last evening at the fundraising dinner for the Kulamba traditional ceremony of the Chewa people of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
President Lungu also disclosed that government has sourced a 50 million United States dollar loan to address the problem that people in the aqua culture sector are facing.
And Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi called for unity and co-existence among all the tribes in Zambia
Speaking through his representative Chiganga Phiri, Kalonga said peace is a catalyst for national development adding that he looks forward to welcoming people in Katete for this Month’s Kulamba Traditional Ceremony.
And the Chewa heritage foundation Zambia Chapter Chairman James Chirwa says the fundraising dinner will allow the people to raise financial resources needed to host this year Kulamba a traditional ceremony.
This government can’t function without loans. Zambia is on loaned development.
Northern Province needs two hammer mills with Kasama needing its personalised one specially for the by elections. how do you win by elections without installing a hammer mill you foo.ls. PF can easily sweep if a hammer mill is installed simple as.
GBM stripped the milling plant naked and took the machinery to Lusaka leaving the people of Kasama jobless. why not replace it?
Are these domestic or industrial hammer mills?
I really don’t understand this program. Perhaps someone can explain it to me? This is what I understand the present situation to be.
1. Most people in the areas proposed for these mills are farmers.
2. These farmers sell their produce to the FRA who then transport it to Lusaka or CB (areas where there are mills).
3. The maize is then sold to the mills who inturn mill it into mealie meal.
4. The mealie meal is then transported back to the rural areas and sold back to the people who farmed it.
My questions is, why don’t these farmers in the rural areas form a co-operative and mill the maize they produce themselves before selling it? For me this is a poor reflection on our farmers that they haven’t exploited this opportunity and are waiting for yet more handouts from Govt.
They ferment the ubunga with aerobic respiration and then sell chikokiyana or seven days which intoxicate carders and later vote for the pabwato. Kkkk @ Wisper wansekesha.
This is the way followed… panono panono tukafika…
I am saddened by the death and critical injury of teachers in Katete.
Could they not even be evacuated to a good private hospital in Lusaka if abroad would have been asking for too much.
These teachers are taxpayers and dedicated public workers but it appears our government thinks their lives are less than that of politicians!!!
Sad indeed.
Where have sourced $50m can’t you just create conducive environment for private businesses and let them take the risks…these lazy empty tins!!
CHIGAYO AT GOVT LEVEL.
THESE ARE JOKES.
I also don’t understand dear. But then what does this have to do with The tradition Kulamba ceremony? Are they planning to grind this year’s ceremony? awe mwandi…kulolesha fye
Chigayo in the rural is the right way forward. Better these Mills are installed now than later because the nearer to the election time, the more court issues by our friends who think that development should be delayed or denied due to elections.
The government mitigation is not limited to providing Mills but further more to empowering OUR National Service, Prisons and peasant farmers to Produce more by provision of equipment and implements. So the farmer shall produce more, have a place to sale it and buy WUNGA at a reasonable price, produced by our own children. If you can not see sense in what is going on, ask the millers association. This is what we call “checks”. The miller shall have to justify his / her price.
As long as these mills remain in government hands Nothing Will come out to benefit the people,remember unip days ,government cannot run business
…Where did they buy these Hummer-mills from, China? Who is going to service and maintain them, Chinese? What then is there for us? Did they carry out a study and/or trials of at least one Chigayo so that we could see how it works? Who’s behind this, Lungu? Awe, I think ba Lungu has lost it. Much as I supported Lungu to take over from Guy Scotch, awe 2016 will be and MUST be different.
The problem lies in the cost of production of maize. It’s very costly compared to other cereals. The peasant farmers that have been subsidising and feeding the nation rely on rain fed type of farming, government subsidies for seed and fertiliser.
This solution of providing hammer mills will not resolve the problem of high cost basic foodstuff in the country. In the event of a serious drought the nations food security is usually jeopardised and there will be no maize to mill. The commercial farmers will still sell their maize to the highest bidder.
Africa is on the MOVE , but the Zambian leadership is still sleeping!