Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, Kanyanta Manga II of the Bemba people has said the agriculture sector has potential to overtake mining in earnings because of the arable land and weather patterns that the country has.
He said government’s efforts to diversify the economy away from mining to agriculture, manufacturing and tourism must be supported as this was the only way to develop the country.
Speaking when Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, His Excellency Emmanuel Mwamba paid a courtesy call on him at the Chitimukulu Palace in Mungwi District, the Chitimukulu said efforts being made to diversify the economy must rely on available resources the country has, such as land, water and the favorable weather pattern.
He said Zambia should fully develop the agriculture sector and its associated agro processing industries and had capacity for mass food production an can be the bread basket for the sub-region.
He said Agriculture should be developed as it was also a mass-employer and the sector had the capacity to anchor the economy.
The Paramount Chief said he has welcomed the Cassava project and called on all stakeholders such as Chifwani Concepts to support rural and small-scale farmers to produce more of the crop to enhance livelihoods.
He said Chifwani Concepts should adopt best practices from similar and previous projects.
He said the concept was different as it assured reliable income for the small-scale farmers since the promoters had signed off-take agreements with manufacturers.
And Mr. Mwamba expressed gratitude for the valuable support he was receiving from Paramount Chief Chitimukulu and other traditional authorities in Northern Province.
Mr. Mwamba as promoter of the project took time to update His Royal Highness, Paramount Chief Chitimukulu Kanyanta Manga II about the progress that has been made regarding the Cassava Project.
Chifwani Concepts is promoting the rapid scaling-up of cassava farming and the use of the cash crop as a reliable income-generating and economic activity for rural communities following the rising demand for the crop for industrial and commercial use.
Until we look at food smuggling out Zambia as a business potential, the push to make agriculture as a main player in the economy will remain a pipedream. Maize farmers always sell at a loss unless they sell across the border where they’re paid a good price. As a result farmers will always depend on FISP. Yes cassava can be a major cash crop because it’s being used in alcohol production which is the main ingredient in sanitizers
Oohhhhh , is that so ???
Darn , who would have thought , very intelligent chief…..
Ba Mwamba…..bulya bushiku mwali kwisano, lelo mulikwisano and mailo mukaba kwisano. Bushe kutotelafye kanabesa chila bushiku?
Ichibemba chitila ukufusha amalumbo kuti wasuka watuka imfumu. Tekanyeni ba Mwamba.
This can only happen if government stops controlling prices of agricultural products. A South African farmer earns 10 times more than a Zambian farmer for the same amount of maize. This is why many a bunu who came to Zambia in the early years of the MMD have packed and left or just left their farms in care.
When Southern province used to have good rains, it was called the maize belt. Choma, Kalomo , Namwala ,Monze Mazabuka were the main farming areas. People from these areas worked and produced to feed the nation. Even beef was coming from these areas.Bemba land has all it requires to be the food basket. Good rains , good soils for crop farming. The area is also good for cattle and goat farming. I only doubt if Bembas have the same work ethics as our Tonga colleagues to feed the nation. Chief Chitimukulu must therefore work on his subjects to change attitude towards work. Then only can we have Northen Province as Zambia’s next food basket.
Its easier said than done if you are very lazy!!
There is so much wisdom in this man. He puts to shame his peer mukuni who is very tribally inclined. If more chiefs thought like him we would have a more progressive rural Zambia. Such is his wisdom that tarino cannot even comment anything tangible.
The Observer, a bit of history should throw light on this discussion. The most agriculturally-oriented provinces are of Southern , Central and Eastern provinces. The reason is historical. These are the provinces that had the greatest concentration of settlement by white farmers. In the early days, farming was done by African labourers using oxen under white bosses. After leaving work on white-owned farms, these Africans went away with knowledge of farming which of course was passed on in their communities. The colonial govt had declared the northern areas as mining labour reserves. It has nothing to do with Bembas’ attitude to farm work. Whn colonialism came, all Africans were living as hunter-gatherers and shifting cultivation farmers.
History has also recorded the effort of pioneer Catholic missionary Fr Joseph Moreau the co-founder of Chikuni Catholic Mission. He was the first white man to teach Tongas how to yoke oxen. When Fr Moreau came to Africa, draft animals were still in use in European agriculture also.
There’s so much potential… The chifwani concept is good and has come at the right time
Very true it has a lot of potential looking at the position of the country currently
That PF idyot ambassador in Ethiopia Emmaneuk Bwamba trying it’s best again to match useless Chitimukulu to wise chief Sonkontwe who has started 1 hector per family.
THE CHIFWANI CONCEPT IS OK BUT IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE A PIPE DREAM. PIPO NEED TO BE SENSETIZED OTHER WISE IT WILL BE ANOTHER CONCET GATHERING THE DUST. ON POLITICAL ISSUES THE CHITUMUKULU AND MUKUNI ARE POLES APART AS THEY SUPPORT DIFFERENT POLITICAL ENTITIES AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN WAYS OF DOING THINGS.
Utufumu tumo
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IS THIS CONCEPT PRACTICED IN ETHIOPIA? WHEN MWAMBA IS TALKING PROJECTS HE IS NEAR TO THROWING HIS CANDIDATURE FOR KASAMA MP, BA INCUMBENT BE ON THE LOOK OUT THIS BOY WILL FINISH U. HE IS TIRED F BEING IN DIASPORA OF SA AND ETHIOPIA HE WANTS TO BE CALLED HON MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING MARK MY WORKS , BUT HE HAS THE POTENTIAL HE CAN DO BETTER THAN DORA SO I SECOND U SIR, DONT BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH TALK STRAIGHT KUTI IAM ASPIRING CANDIDATE CHAPWA
What there has to be, is a revisioning of what ‘development’ actually looks like and who it benefits, because if left to the neoliberals, it will only benefit foreign corporations, not local ordinary people. Local ownership has to be central to this new agricultural development. If it does not benefit local people first, it is not development at all.