For more than 6 years in a row Zambia has been experiencing bumper harvests in it’s maize crop.The forces driving this increase remain widely debated. One thing that stands out for sure is that Zambia rejected GMO maize despite international pressure. Other southern African countries that embraced GMO maize have been seeing a decline in their maize yields.
Despite having Genetically modified maize that is drought resistant, South Africa reaped the smallest harvest since 2007 this year due to the drought brought by the global El Nino weather pattern.In 2014 the South African Government launched two new strains of drought-resistant maize to farmers which scientists said would survive on far less water than regular natural mealie crops and held the promise of ending hunger for the poor.Results speak for themselves.The FAO reported a sharp production decline with the South African maize output forecast at 7.7 million tonnes,28 percent down from the below?average 2015 harvest.
Other countries like Malawi and Zimbabwe have also seen a decline in their maize yields over the years.
The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Arusha protocol which the PF government signed makes it illegal for farmers to save, reuse and exchange seed amongst themselves as they have always done. Zambia and other members of ARIPO will be reviewing the draft regulations for the implementation of the ARIPO protocol from 14-17 June 2016 in Harare Zimbabwe. A significant portion of these draft regulations are targeting farmers in a manner that is unduly punitive and intent on extorting the small scale farmer to the point where the country is in danger of losing all the progress made so far where small scale farmers have contributed massively to food production including maize which is now even available to countries around us that have maize deficits.
Zambia would do well to follow the adage- If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. On October 24th 1964 Zambia became a sovereign nation and Zambia needs to do whatever it takes to protect it’s sovereignty and not give in to so called investors who do not have Zambia’s best interest at heart.
Quote from Rwanda’s New Times
Africa has all the ingredients (ample land, fertile soils, abundant rains and the most clement weather, etc) not only to be food secure, but to feed the world as well. The basics are there and we do not need to poison our environment with things like GMO to produce that food. What we need are better and more modern agricultural policies and practices, including effective farmer extension services, better land management practices, access to affordable farm credit, better harvesting and storage practices, micro agro processing factories to convert surplus farm produce to marketable products in situ, and improved infrastructure to serve rural food producing areas. Don’t kill our food capabilities with GMO poison that will also shut our agricultural products out of many markets where they have banned anything with GMOs. Plus you cannot be food-secure by handing control of your seeds to the likes of Monsanto, Du Pont or Bayer (notice all of them are chemical companies like Union Carbide of Bhopal infamy, not people you should be handing control of your food source to, despite what their public relations people, including in academia may be whispering in your ears).
THE WILL, THE WILL THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE MUST BE RESPECTED INDEED! DECEPTION, DECEPTION, DECEPTION, DECEPTION. ATI LUNGU IS THE CHOSEN ONE. CHOSEN BY WHO? THAT VIPER! ABASH BLASPHEMY! ABASH LOOTER! ABASH CORRUPTION! ABASH SELF EXALTATION! LUNGU PREPARE YOURSELF PSYCHOLOGICALLY TO HAND OVER POWER TO HH BECAUSE ZAMBIANS ARE ALREADY SHOWING YOU THAT THEY NEED TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT, JUST LIKE THEY DID IT IN 1991 AND IN 2011. VIVA CHANGE VIVA! VIVA HH VIVA! VIVA ZAMBIA VIVA!
There is enough land and rain in Zambia no need for GMO. PF should open their eyes and not sign agreements blindly.Zambians should learn to be engaged in issues that really affect them as opposed to shallow mindedness as to only engage in trivial political debates like who has a G12 certificate or not.
Which Zambians? The fact that you are in a different camp does not mean everyone else is… Lets just wait for the results people!! You only carry one vote and so do i, and you cant know what other people are thinking!!! Its just Prayer people…
WHICH CORRUPTION????? CORRUPTION GOES WITH CORRUPT ELEMENTS CHECK THE CORRUPT IN PF & THE CORRUPT IN UPND”””””””””””””””””””””””
Chakolwa Vodka Lungu must fall, come August, 11…VIVA HH 2016
Too wonderful to be possible, God only does the impossibles. In the realm of what is humanly possible we dont need God, common sense is our God. Run-up to 20th January, 2014 elections Guy scott, Mulenga Sata, Miles Sampa, GBM, and many more PF and MMD senior members never believed that Edgar Changwa and PF could win the elections. I came to believe that God is the architect of salvation, therefore salvation is not a commonsense design. God does not do certain things without the cooperation of man hence come 11th August, 2016 please go out and vote. When I was young my mother told me to respect to the elders and better, we should not insult President Lungu as he is our leader and because of these insults even this time around God will do the impossibles.
You are right. No need to insult him. His actions are the ones which are insult to human decency.
God aside,i doubt very much a holy God can work and be pleased with wht lungu has inflicted zambians with in the past 15 months.God desires to see selfless leaders ,leaders who just dont condenm violence but acts,faith without action is meaningless,can God be happy increase your salary three times while everything is free for u,will such a god be said to be good or evil.
He is right indeed, we have no cause to insult Lungu indeed, but I think we can only insult his leadership style by using the ballot box in coming August
Does God choose our leaders?No.
Does God inspire our men in leadership to put laws which do protect us from evil actions,yes but our leaders do/have abused these good laws.john 8.44,jesus said u ar of ur father the devil,who is the ruler of this world.the notion of lungu as the chosen one was championed by a group of boys after being intoxicated with kachasu in chawama.And its common on streets of lsk.God created man with a free WILL.
Viva Mealie Meal Democracy!
The is zealous,morally upright leaders who are humble and submissive to God bring great blessings upon those they shepherd.Who the righteous are in authority,the people rejoice and the nation become prosperous.are zedians rejoicing n is zed prosporous today?the opposite is true
Zambia under God’s covering. No matter how ridiculous the UPND and PF are, Jesus watches over his beloved Christian nation.
Viva Jesus.
What rubbish