Friday, March 29, 2024

President Edgar Lungu urges farmers to take advantage of the regional demand

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FILE: President Edgar Lungu chats with Mr Joseph Daka Maize Seed farmer of Mkushi farming Block during the Tours of Mkushi farms
President Edgar Lungu has called on Zambian farmers to venture into production of high value agro produce to take advantage of the regional demand.

President Lungu has cited fish and livestock production as among high value agro produce.

Officiating at the 113 Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) Annual Congress in Lusaka, President Lungu revealed that neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo had already requested Zambia for maize.

President Lungu has further called for enhanced consultations between the Ministry of Agriculture and ZNFU on challenges facing farmers.

And President Lungu has called on the private sector and financing institutions to come on board and finance the purchase of agro produce.

Meanwhile, ZNFU President Jarvis Zimba has lamented increased costs of agro production.

Mr. Zimba has since called for consultations by government with concerned stakeholders.

The ZNFU President has also noted that the imposition of export bans on maize, maize seed and mealie meal is affecting the industry’s development.

But, Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo says his Ministry stands ready to work with ZNFU in developing the agriculture sector.

Mr. Katambo says his Ministry has not issued a Statutory Instrument banning the export of maize and mealie meal but had just taken an administrative measure to maintain food security in Zambia.

15 COMMENTS

  1. Bane I know wrong forum but I need understand ( Kabwili called Sikazwe witchdoctor) I don’tthink this should be offensive unless I am missing some thing.

    What I the difference between Ndoshi and Nganga ?

    • But hasn’t govt just imposed a temporal ban on the exportation of maize? How are farmers going to take advantage of this high demand when the FRA with its short sightedness failed to set a competitive price for farmers and as such have only less than 200 tons of the 500 quota required and they the FRA are now trying to force farmers to take maize to them with this funny ban of theirs? Very unfair these dynamics at play.

    • What Lungu is recommending now should’ve been done a long time ago. Zambia should’ve take advantage of this demand a long time ago, and by now the country could’ve earned a lot of revenue from exporting maize and other agricultural products. This demand is not just starting today. It’s been there for quiet sometime now. But clueless Lungu and his buddies are just waking up now.

    • Inganga is the one people visit for a remedy after they claim to have been bewitched by indoshi. I hope that helps.

  2. Why is this man so good at issuing meaningless statements?They have failed to provide imputs,under his reign FRA has reduced how much grain they buy and cant afford to pay good prices for the grain but listening to him he is talking like it is the farmers that have failed.Look at how much they are offering farmers while they show no restraint in spending money for leisure

  3. The current Export Ban of maize and mealie meal will result in the destruction of maize production in Zambia with the end result that Zambia will eventually have to import maize. Local farmers will not grow maize because farming is a business and nobody can afford to run business that makes big losses year on year because of artificially low maize prices (caused by the Maize Export Ban). Without a properly liberalised market maize farming is doomed.

    • Mr President, the Centre is not holding…

      The problem is the centre not the farmers. Just your words will not fix the Centre… there is much more work to do than that my president and you know it.

      It is the doing and ensuring sectoral linkages and funding in the agriculture sector. That is the winning formula…

      Need I mention replacing “corruption and consumption” with “Production and consumption”?

      The centre does not hold My President!

      The truth needs to be told at times, not with the arrogance to inflame the anger but with the firmness to open the leadership eyes.

  4. Is this !diot drunk already, what advantage when ur sh!thole govt only allocated 2 billon kwacha for agriculture ut stup!dty is overwhelming pompwe iwe

  5. The president says take advantage of the regional market meanwhile his minister bans export of agriculture produce. So these people sit in the same cabinet meeting?

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