Zambia National Service (ZNS) Deputy Commandant Major General Benson Miti says the service is ready to contribute positively to the country’s food basket ahead of the 2020/2021 farming season.
General Miti said the service is committed and will ensure that it heeds to the Presidential directive for them to increase food production in the country.
He said the men and women in uniform are equal to the task and ready to deliver to the country’s expectation.
“National Security also entails that the country is food secure and men and women in the country will be up to point in discharging their duty, ” he said.
He said ZNS has since started interacting with traditional leaders on how best they can avail them with land for agriculture production.
General Miti disclosed that ZNS has approached Chief Tungati in Luwingu district of Northern Province on the possibility of offering them land for agricultural purposes.
“We have so far secured 10,000 hectares of land in Muchinga and we have made headways in accessing land in Chief Tungati’s area in Northern Province” he said
General Miti said this when he paid a courtesy call on Northern Province Minister Chungu Bwalya at his office in Kasama.
The Deputy Commandant is in Northern Province on a familiarization tour to check among other things its readiness for the coming farming season and also state of machinery under its land development department.
Meanwhile Northern Province Minister Chungu Bwalya commended ZNS for its contribution to the country’s food production.
Mr. Bwalya said ZNS has also been very instrumental in curbing smuggling of maize and mealie meal.
The Provincial Minister has challenged ZNS to take advantage of the vast fertile land, good soils and favorable climatic conditions in the region to expand its production to grow enough food for the country.
“We have plenty of land in Northern Province which needs to be used to increase food production in the country,” he said
He noted that ZNS has the capacity to increase maize production adding that this is cardinal as it will increase food security in the country.
Mr. Bwalya added that the traditional leaders in Northern Province are keen to see ZNS in all districts for the purpose of food production and other development.
He further stated that the Provincial administration is ready to work and with the service in ensuring that the province and country is food secure.
I’m not sure myself that we should be using a unit of the armed forces to grow food. That’s done in post-conflict states that are in a re-building phase. Why not empower farmers to do it? We hv people who hv studied agriculture science at NRDC and other agricultural colleges. They can be empowered appropriately to help move the agricultural industry to one based on both theoretical and practical knowledge.
Thank you for your patriotism. The evil upnd supporting diasporans can learn a thing or two from you all. We thank you so much.
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l ve always said this and l am saying again. Fat cats at ZNS should should come of drinking whiskey every day and start serious maize production for FRA and export. let the farmers sell their maize at a price wish to millers or even export.
ZNS was established to militarize school leavers during the smith era in Zimbabwe and food production.
l ve always said this and l am saying again. Fat cats at ZNS should should come of drinking whiskey every day and start serious maize production for FRA and export. let the farmers sell their maize at a price wish to millers or even export.
ZNS was established to militarize school leavers during the smith era in Zimbabwe and food production.
Editor at lusaka times must be akainde’s sympathizer.