MINISTER of Agriculture Dora Siliya says Zambia can easily become southern Africa’s bread basket if opportunities are fully exploited.
Ms Siliya said Government is committed to partnering with various actors who are making efforts to improve agriculture.
In a speech read for her by Southern Province permanent secretary Sibanze Simuchoba, Ms Siliya said there is need to increase agricultural production and productivity by promoting the use of modern farming practices.
She was speaking in Livingstone recently during a maize conference held under the theme ‘Improving Maize Value Chains for Transformational Impact’.
The conference drew participants from Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Republic of Congo, Cameroon and the host, Zambia.
It was aimed at sharing key issues on maize value chain development, technology generation and dissemination.
Ms Siliya said increasing investment in agricultural research and development as a means of sensitising farmers on best practices would help Zambia become the region’s bread basket.
“There is need for increasing agricultural financing which can be done by providing broad-based credit and finance to smallholder farmers through warehouse receipt systems, savings banks and co-operatives,” she said.
Ms Siliya called for the improvement of value addition along the entire value chain through agro-processing.
“Primary agricultural products should be transformed into high-value products,” she said
Ms Siliya said it is important to transform agriculture to meet the aspirations of the people.
And speaking at the same function, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) director general Nteranya Sanginga said most countries are still characterised by high levels of poverty.
In a speech read for him by IITA regional director for Southern Africa David Chikoye, Dr Sanginga said the agriculture sector is faced by several challenges, which include low investments in the sector.
I think Dora is right
Thanks
Bb2014,2016
Dora, that is only possible if pf was offering good leadership and governance. However, all pf offers is borrowing strategy day in and out and claim to be sovereign with money.
…with no money.
Yes it can. But just not with an empty tin of an illegal government like Pf at the helm. The upnd manifesto coupled with hhs proven success in the agricultural field is the only feasible alternative to ensure Zambia becomes a regional food basket. Till then continue dreaming because as we speak people in your own village are failing to feed themselves.
We have been hearing similar comment for the past 20years. Sentences like
“….there is need to increase agricultural production and productivity by promoting the use of modern farming practices.”
“….Government is committed to partnering with various actors who are making efforts to improve agriculture”
“There is need for increasing agricultural financing which can be done by providing broad-based credit ”
Can you be specific and instead tell us what the government is planning to do, and not wishful thinking? You are in govt, and you are the minister, you can not start talking as if others should be doing that.
Zambia under the thieving PF is going nowhere. As Mmembe used to write, Zambia is taking long steps walking backwards.
ZAMBIA BECOMING A SOUTHERN AFRICA’S BREAD BASKET IS A SONG WHOSE PRACTICAL SIDE OF ZAMBIA REALLY TURNING INTO A FOOD HALL HAS BEEN LONG OVERDUE. TROUBLE IS ZAMBIA CONCENTRATES FARMING IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF ZAMBIA WITH NO RAINFALL AND FERTILE SOIL. MORE THAN 80% OF ZAMBIA’S FARMING, FOR ONCE, SHOULD BE CONCENTRATED IN NORTHHERN, LUAPULA, NORTH WESTERN, MUCHINGA, (AND EASTERN AND CENTRAL PROVINCES. FARMING MUST BE MECHANISED (MODERNISED), FARMING MUST BE ECHOED WITH FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES, THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT MUST WITHOUT WASTE OF TIME INVITE CHINA TO ESTABLISH FARMING MACHINERY MANUFACTURING PLANTS IN THOSE MFEZes, FARM BLOCKS ARE AN EXCELLENT IDEA BUT WHERE ARE THE STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED/ESTABLISHED INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS FOR FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS TO BE FED BY THESE FARM BLOCKS…
…FARM BLOCKS ARE AN EXCELLENT IDEA BUT WHERE ARE THE STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED/ESTABLISHED INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS FOR FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS TO BE FED BY THESE FARM BLOCKS. ULUKASU CANNOT PRODUCE NOT EVEN TO FEED ONE’S FAMILY, LET ALONE PART OF THE WORLD.
@Peter, if the Tongas are the only people who are willing to work the land to feed Zambia, then don’t blame the concentration of farming in Southern Province. We see how some people just love to cause chaos and talk nonsense all day long and then claim that they are hard working. PF mistakes talking for doing. That’s the problem of having traders and thieves running a country.
That statement by Dora has been made so many times over the years in Zambia – and we are still nowhere near to being a ‘bread basket’. Probably less chance now with the PF government. Absolutely nothing new.