The Lunda Cultural Association of Zambia ( LUCAZ) has implored young people in North Western Province not to lose the guard on agriculture because it remains the only sustainable way to economic recovery and poverty reduction.
LUCAZ Chairperson, Anthony Samuhandu said people should not give up on agriculture and rush for jobs in mines but continue engaging in various agricultural activities like they have done previously.
Mr. Samuhandu said the association has noted with concern that a lot of young people in the region are slowly abandoning agriculture and have been seen migrating to Solwezi and Kalumbila districts seeking for jobs in the mines.
Mr. Samuhandu said people in the region should now start preparing themselves to increase their areas of cultivation especially pineapple farmers because the government has already started creating market linkages for small scale farmers.
He said very soon a pineapple processing industry will be established in Mwinilunga or Ikeleng’i district which he said will enable pineapple farmers in the two districts have market to their produce.
Mr. Samuhandu said pineapple farmers in Mwinilunga and Ikeleng’i districts have had their crops going to waste due to lack of market for many years but that things are about to change for better.
Mr. Samuhandu said the coming of a pineapple processing industry will also create thousands of jobs to the locals in the region in addition to the ones that have come as a result of the mining industry.
“Let our people not give up on agriculture because good things that will benefit many of them have started coming in our province. Things like pineapple and tomato processing plants will soon be established and I have no doubt more jobs will be created,” Mr. Samuhandu said.
He added that the pineapple processing industry will not only create jobs to the local people and market to the farmers but also spur development in the region that he said has remained undeveloped apart from Solwezi and Kalumbila districts.
Mr. Samuhandu said people should also take advantage of the vibrant mining industry and engage in livestock and fish farming which they can be supplying the mines.
The LUCAZ Chairperson said North-Western province has potential to feed the country and beyond of young people fully embrace farming and treat it as a many stay.
“Nothing fails to grow in our soils here be it beans, potatoes, maize, cassava and any other crops. We also receive favorable rainfall. This, plus the coming market linkages is enough to motivate our young people to go back to the land and be able to make money,” Mr. Samuhandu said.
That’s why HH is key to economic recovery.Not chidakwa.
Agriculture is not the key to economic development, if you look at developed nations like China, US, and UK, they all started off as agriculture nations and they were still poor until the industrialised and started exporting. Zambia needs to encourage IT so that we can become an IT hub like India.