PRESIDENT Lungu says Zambia should raise its maize bumper harvest bar to 10 million metric tonnes.
He has also challenged some commercial banks to explain why they have not activated electronic cards issued under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
The President says instead of taking delight in the marginal bumper harvests, Zambia should raise the target and that this can be attained with improved management of the agriculture sector.
“It is not good to be boasting about 2 million metric tonnes as a bumper harvest when we can do better by even producing 10 million metric tonnes as a country,” President Lungu said yesterday.
He said this when he paid a courtesy call on Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people at Ephendukeni palace in Chipata.
President Lungu said the country projects another good harvest this farming season if the farm input distribution programme is efficient and the prevailing rainfall pattern continues to the end of the season.
He said this is why he is on the ground to see what is happening in the agriculture sector in terms of farm input distribution and to assess the impact of armyworm attacks on maize crops.
President Lungu said his fact-finding mission will also assist him to find a solution for value addition for crops produced in the Eastern Province, which is renowned for groundnuts production.
Speaking earlier, Paramount Chief Mpezeni complained about the late distribution of farm inputs.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni said many farmers in Chipata have not yet received their fertiliser under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
The traditional leader, however, said maize fields in his chiefdom have not been infested by armyworms and thanked President Lungu for coming to inspect other areas which have been ravaged by the pests.
In response, President Lungu said he expects people spearheading the e-voucher system to revert to the conventional one after noticing challenges in the new system.
Mr President yes we can attain that mark only if we can invest in technology. I mean cheap technology like a policy of buying second hand machinery from countries like Britain or USA. Bring these here and give them as loans to the farmers and let the farmers payback through bags of maize. And please make sure not to politicize the exercise like how we have misused the constituent youth development fund.
Bwana President, with input on time, I can guarantee you that we will hit that mark with no problem. E.g compare a field of a white farmer to that of a farmer in our vilage? difference is that the white farmer is using machine while our own farmer uses hoes (garden tool).
Had we bought tractors, tillage equipment instead of hearse and mobile hospitals maybe today that target would be…
No no no! Please don’t buy second hand machinery from UK. These people know how to use a machine to the end of its life. Most Zambians and Zambia as a Country has lost trillions of money by importing used trucks. Go around the country, and you will be amazed at the amount of trucks brought from UK. They will not give you more than 2 years. In short, they cannot pay back. Buy brand new equipment from local companies through banks.
Great leader, great thinking.
Yes we can;
Somethings all they need is a change of mindset driven from the top. We have great capacity within us.
Why should people spend all their weekends drinking. 52 Saturdays just drinking or watching soccer or just lazing around. 52 weekends is more than three months is we add Sunday afternoons.
You acquire some money, all that you get is a range Rover – driving it even when you are going nowhere. Yo7 don’t even realise that you are also wasting fuel and enriching oil producing countries for no value creation.
Can’t you use the money to buy a farm or farm equipment instead of that showroom Range Rover?
And when there is no sufficient food, all you can say is the president has failed. Failed to do what – to come and sweep your…
And when there is no sufficient food, all you can say is the president has failed; failed to do what – to come and sweep your bedroom?
“I look very dirty, government should do something.” Eh, come on, just go take a bath!
What a mentality, what an attitude, what a culture, what a mindset!
Wake up, wake up, wake up, Zambia!!!!
Buy brand new at interest rate of 40% is that what you mean Ken?
We need to get out of this SECOND HAND mentality and think NEW! Buying NEW is cheaper compared to SECOND HAND. Yes I agree on the aspect of mechanization. However the economic fundamentals must be put in place first to bring down interest rates! Government expenditure under Chagwa has been reckless and if that is not checked, we’ll remain a country of dreamers and wishers!
So that he can sell some to foreign countries and pocket the money? His crookedness is very easy to see through, he is not smart.
Mr President this can only happen if we hold national prayers. Also deal with detractors like Davies Mwila.
kudos faith without works is nothing. the time we spend on our knees in fake prayers could be spend in the field instead with in puts available at the right time. where is dora that the president is doing her job/ also is mumbi phiri learning agriculture that she has become the president s shadow/
I think @Kudos is being sarcastic!
True, we shouldn’t be happy with a 2 million as a bumper harvest target when we have a huge market around us. If we raised this to 10 million, the harassment of our enterprising entrepreneurs , whom we label as smugglers, for lack of a better term , would stop immediately.
If you meet your target you need to raise the bar and this is how growth happens
Not with 50% interest rates. Not with late farming inputs. Not with eVouchers which Lungu himself has condemned. Not under Dollar Syria as Agriculture Minister who is completely against FISP.
Seed and Fertilizer are just being distributed now,which obviously will affect production and this clearly is a sign of failure by you GRZ to plan.What is you basis of desiring high production?Worse still your expected increase is unrealistic as production can only be increased with good planning and effort not by decree like taxes.
Mr. president roll out a plan right now……we need the dollar from DRC….
Wishful thinking requires no plans. This is typical filaisova culture.
Lungu knows nothing about farming. You cannot adjust crop targets now. The rain or farming season is coming to a close. What we can now do is to understake a crop outturn survey but the planting season is over, so u can only target next year weather permitting. Lungu should listen to Agricultural Experts b4 uttering such farming nonsense.
Lungu wants to deal with agriculture the way he dealt with electricity tariffs – an immediate 350% increase without looking at the ability to produce. It is sheer insanity to suggest a 400% increase in farming production. Over what period? Under what investment program? Production does not happen under edict or duress. This is wishful thinking.
This is a Lesson to Edgar not to be on the ground right in the advanced stages of the farming Season ….. next season bwana start early and make sure that logistics of distribution and the mechanics of giving the Farmer inputs are done in time …. I am saying do this because you seem to find it justifiable to give your minister leave during key moments in her Ministry and throw the buck at the technocrats. Also a vision in advance is important Sir you cannot start dreaming up targets at this point hehe!
He went on “farming fact-finding mission” without anyone from the ministry of Agric (no Minister or PS or any other) on the entourage. Instead he took Mumbi Phiri and other PF cadres on the entourage. It doesn’t sound to be a serious “Agric visit”.
That’s Lazy Lungu for you …challenging everyone but his Minister of Agriculture who was appointed by his boss RB, they can not deliver inputs on time and he is dreaming of bumper harvest.
That is wholly nonsensical.
value add groundnuts…….. ma zungus like to cook wth peanut oil higher value than just vegetable or canola oil.,tanzania has small groundnus so potential for export, where are factories to process groundnjts,
Ma zungus eat peanuts roasted in their shells, shoprite sells salted peanuts (From SOUTH AFRICA ) zambia grow for export then look at home markets. We are too scared to aim high.
Any other products you want value adding
There is a lot of us with some spare income to invest in Agriculture while we also continue in our jobs. The biggest problem hindering most of us the lack of land. I know there could be resettlement allocation of land under the office of the Vice President, but how does it work for those still in employment. Please unlock some huge tracts of land kept unproductive and make it available to the people in formal employment to participate in maize production. I would promise 10 tones myself.
Great leader, great thinking.
Yes we can;
Somethings all they need is a change of mindset driven from the top. We have great capacity within us.
Why should people spend all their weekends drinking. 52 Saturdays just drinking or watching soccer or just lazing around. 52 weekends is more than three mont okhs if we add Sunday afternoons.
You acquire some money, and all that you get is a range Rover – driving it even when you are going nowhere, just so that people can see that you have it. You don’t even realise that you are also wasting fuel, and enriching oil producing countries for no value creation, wasting subsidized fuel.
Can’t you use the money to buy a farm or farm equipment instead of that showroom Range Rover?
And when there is no sufficient food, all you can…
And when there is no sufficient food, all you can say is the president has failed; failed to do what – to come and sweep your bedroom?
“I look very dirty, government should do something.” Eh, come on, just go take a bath!
What a mentality, what an attitude, what a culture, what a mindset!
Wake up, wake up, wake up, Zambia!!!!
Looks like you are describing Lungu he owns a very expensive Range Rover autobiography and he doesn’t Farm…..spot on Sir!
One ECL the man with a true vision and heart for the nation! We said we would get a bumper harvest again and the United Dunderheads laughed at us! We keep making accurate forecasts and they the United Dunderheads keep making false evil predictions.
Team PF is on track to deliver a bumper harvest even larger than these past years! God bless Zambia, God Bless all Zambians including the United Dunderheads so that they may change their evil ways- life is not all about being a fly on the arse of a Hungry Hyena like abena Nez, Spaka, Bucketbrains(Ha)lungu and co.
Well done mr president.this is how a leader is supposed to be doing,And it is ecaraging the way most bloggers have resipoded,for real we need equipment for both agriculture And factories in terms of value add you will see all the youth working.
Firstly our bumper harvests touch 3 million tons, not 2 million
Secondly, is there a known market for 10 million tons ? Sure, in 2016 the worst drought in 50 years hit Malawi and Zimbabwe. If they get normal rains, will they need Zambian maize imports ?
Is there a feasability study to support 10 million tons or its just cheap talk by politicians with full bellies who have not stood with hoes in the sun.
Kikki the lazy illegal president is good at dreaming and telling us his dreams. Meanwhile real great men like hh are actually doing farming itself and making a difference by employing people who lungus government has failed. Lungu will die soon he is behaving like sata during his last days
too many clowns in Zambia…..always nodding their heads without thinking things through.such a shame..
too many clowns in Zambia…..always nodding their heads without thinking things through.
he wants the bumper harvest to ten million so that he can illegally sell more to Malawi with
his minister Dora …..more money in their pockets….
zambians are ndwee…..nodding their heads and failing to understand the reasons….
This is just a sideshow by the Illegitimate Chakolwa Lungu . Zuma of South Africa and Khama of Botswana have already recognized President Adama Barrow of Gambia. All eyes on Lungu,Mugabe, Mu7 and SADC. Are these three Dictators going to recognise President Adama Barrow or not? Dora Siliya should attend to the maize fields while Lungu deal with urgent state matters. January 26,2016 is only 3 days away and we wait to see what other tricks Lungu still has in blocking the Petition Hearing. Ecowas,SADC and AU are watching Lungu following the resolution of the Gambian Transfer of Power. Tough times ahead for Illegitimate Lungu.
@NEZ and company. Why don’t you leave Zambia. You cannot be real to criticise every thing the Zambian president does. Mind you, he is likely to be there up to 2026. On this one, he is 100% right. He never said this year. But in future that is very much achievable.
Your always negativity make many of us think ill about your party and it’s leaders. If all that PF does is wrong, then what wold be the agenda for your party? You are destroying your party with your own irresponsible actions .
Leave Zambia for where? That’s why you people behave like Hutus and kill other citizens just so that you do not hear different views and opinions. Zambia is not for Lungu sycophants alone
10Million tons my A$$. iwe Remove corruption from the ministry, impose very low exercise duty on farming equipment, empower small scale farmers with machanical equipment, supply input supplies on time, improve storage facilities at FRA. Do these things and the counrtry will actually produce 20T …
Kkkkkk kkkkkk day dreaming by our president 2 million to 10 million, lack of thinking capacity by Mr president .
Another joke for a LAZY-BUMZ LUNGU who has never farmed even a backyard tomato garden in his entire life. They thought leadership is a walk in the park, getting cuts from Road Tenders.
– How do u expect a bumper harvest with late delivery of inputs?
– How do u expect a bumper harvest when during planting season Agric Minister DORA BOKOSI SILITI goes on a S3XCAPADE to Las Vegas to BONK Mulabana a married KASAI international conman? Next when Mulabana is dumped, he’ll demand $Millions & else threaten to release a X-rated Video of your HONORABLE Minister.
– How do u expect a bumper harvest with the high lending interest rates?
– How do u expect a bumper harvest with ARMY WORMS invasion?
– How do u expect a bumper harvest with BORERS invasion?
– Does FRA have the capacity to…
CONT’D
Does FRA have the capacity to buy/store 10Million Tons of Maize?
Iweee ka maloza…yes all your tribes mens huts and bedrooms will be full of maize..thus some few metric tons..
Realisation comes after making a mistake and this case a huge mistake under the leadership of Lungu. Just how much money, public resources have you and continue to waste. And just what if you invested all that in the country sectors as priority? Yes, what if you did….??
Dora has failed as Agriculture Minister.
All Dora is good at is allowing Mike Tyson to squeeze her “Soft Matak0!!
Plannning is vital in every organisation. if the President is serious of harvesting 10 million metrics tonnes of maize, let him start planning now with technocrats not cadres….. the harvest is possible when he is serious. He must do work than mere talk and never demonise others.
Actually, many professionals and technocrats have sat back for fear of losing their jobs because the President seems to be comforted with cadres. These professionals have careers to keep and would not like to lose their job unexpected or have their career destroyed…. Imagine Kamba saying the civil service is corrupt and fustrating Govenrment programmmes and targets you as a profesional for doing your work.
Today, if you express a different view, you are labelled a opposition cadre… SAD ,SAD
This is wishful thinking Mr. President. What investment including Government support has been put into the agriculture sector for it to achieve such a bumper harvest? Not much to say the least. it will be another disastrous year. Late delivery of farmimg inputs, late activitation of e-voucher cards, Stalk borers and Army worms! God forbid. We would be lucky to get even 1.5 million Metric Tonnes.
Why is he ‘on the ground’ instead of Dora?
Reduce the cost of fertiler
With this type of chaos in the agriculture sector, which has unfortunately has repeated itself since independence, I do not see when and how we can hit 10 million metric tones. Is it in one season? If it is, what magic are we going to play to jump from 2 million plus to 10 million tones? As a matter of fact, this maize thing is what has made most peasant farmers perpetually poor. In fact, I think I have heard voices within government circles suggesting that other cash crops such as soya beans and others need serious promotion if our people are to graduate from the yoke of poverty to prosperity.