Thursday, March 28, 2024

Government receives $31.1 million from the GLobal Agricultural and Food Security programme

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FEELING LIKE A FARMER! AGRICULTURE and Fisheries Permanent Secretary Dr David Shamulenge have a feel of the new tractor bought by the Zambia College of Agriculture (ZCA) at a cost of K230,000. This was after he toured the learning institution’s farm
FEELING LIKE A FARMER! AGRICULTURE and Fisheries Permanent Secretary Dr David Shamulenge have a feel of the new tractor bought by the Zambia College of Agriculture (ZCA) at a cost of K230,000. This was after he toured the learning institution’s farm

Government has received $31.1 million grant from the GLobal Agricultural and Food Security programme aimed at promoting productivity and market enhancement, among small scale farmers.

The seven year programme, under the Agricultural Productivity and market Enhancement Project – APMEP- is being supervised by the African Development Bank – ADB.

Fisheries and livestock permanent secretary David Shamulenge says government has done well in infrastructure development and will next year start value addition, market linkages and empowerment programmes for the farmers.

Dr Shamulenge who is touring Chongwe and Rufunsa districts says President Edgar Lungu remains determined to grow the economy through fisheries and livestock development, as can be seen by his pronouncements to prioitize the two sectors.

And Dr. Shamulenge has revealed that the country is poised to offset the 80 thousand metric tons fish deficit in the next two years.

He said government is next year expected to carry out a fish tonnage census to ascertain the exact population of the fish resources.

Meanwhile, Kasama District in northern province has received over eighteen thousand e-vouchers under the farmer input support programme (FISP).

Kasama District Commisioner Kelly Kashiwa has disclosed the development when he met farmers at Mbusa area.

Mr. Kashiwa said the district administration is committed to ensure all the farmers in the area receive the inputs within the 7 days ultumatum given by president Edgar Lungu.

The District Commissioner has called on the farmers to take advantage of the good rainfall pattern in Kasama and grow various crops to fight poverty.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kashiwa has revealed that all the four thousand five hundred farmers who sold their maize to government in Kasama have received their money.

Mr. Kashiwa said the farmers started receiving their money this week from various commercial banks in Kasama.

He said he had instructed the banks in the area to start paying the farmers immediately government had transfered the funds in the banks.

Mr. Kashiwa has thanked the farmers in the district for exhibiting patience with government over the payment of their money.

And farmers in Kasama are elated at the decision by government to pay them their money.

One farmer Emmanuel Mulundu said he is happy that government has decided to pay them in good time.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Yes. Begging all the time because our real money goes to maintain the predatory politicians in office for their own stomachs. They have no sense of national pride or patriotism.

  2. Promoting productivity and market enhancement. Can someone shed a bit more light on this. $31million is a handsome amount if not just spent on endless seminars/workshops, per diem, etc. Is this accessible to the farmer or just for govt functionaries to blow ?

  3. Every time we hear $Millions borrowed by this Kaloba PF00Lish Govt. We don’t hear Govt signing bilateral trade deals securing $Millions of exports.

  4. YAYAYA, “Mr. Kashiwa said the farmers started receiving their money this week from various commercial banks in Kasama.” When do they start procuring logistical materials for their farming? PF this is very sad. Is there no way we can have a “Think Tank” in the ministry of Agriculture to sit down and make a sustainable plan to deliver these things on time? Only a fool does the same thing over and over and expect different results.

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