President Edgar Lungu has praised the agriculture sector in Zambia saying it has remained resilient in the face of the Covid-19 which has been a big blow to various sectors of the economy across the world over a year now.
And President lungu said it is his government’s policy to ensure that each region in Zambia has a thriving agricultural industry that contributes to food security, economic development and job creation.
Meanwhile, Dr. Lungu said field days are a vital means of facilitating knowledge transfer between farmers and agricultural experts.
ZANIS reports that President Lungu was speaking when he officiated at the 2021 national agriculture field day in Mpika district, Muchinga province yesterday.
He said agricultural field days and exhibitions are important events as they give farmers an opportunity to interact with one another and connect with players and service providers in the agriculture industry.
“Field days are a vital means of facilitating knowledge transfer between farmers and agricultural experts. Through these events, it is guaranteed that many small scale farmers will be exposed to different agricultural practices to boost their productivity and agricultural output,” he said.
The Head of State said the sure way to boosting national production and productivity is through the promotion and adoption of good agricultural practices, such as conservation agriculture, the use of appropriate seed varieties and inputs, early planting, irrigation and mechanization.
The President has since praised Mpika district, saying that the area has been able to increase its production of food crops, such as maize, from 227,000 metric tonnes in the 2011/2012 farming season to 329,000 metric tonnes in the 2019/2020 season.
He reiterated that in last year’s farming season, farmers produced a bumper harvest of 3.3 million tonnes of maize.
He said in addition to the good harvest realised in 2020, all indications are pointing to the fact that the agriculture sector will yet again, record another bumper harvest in 2021.
“I am confident that the format of today’s gathering will support knowledge transfer and give farmers the confidence to begin practicing some of the latest innovations being shared at this event,” he said
He added that, “let me take advantage of this event to express my delight at the positive reports that the ongoing input distribution exercise for the 2021/2022 farming season is progressing well.”
And Muchinga Province Minister, Malozo Sichone said the region has recorded improved agriculture production because the area has received unprecedented development in the agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, the Mpika District Farmers Association has lauded government’s sound agriculture policies under President Lungu’s leadership.
Association Chairman, Kennedy Chola said this can be evidenced by the bumper harvests the country has continued to record.
“We just request your serious intervention especially where high cost of fertilizer is concerned because the high prices are threatening the country’s food security,” he said.
And Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba stated that the bumper harvests that the country has continued to record is a clear indication that President Lungu’s government has a passion for farming.
“We are just urging you to give farmers a good price for their produce and allow exportation of farm produce using legal instruments as this will reduce smuggling,” Mr. Zimba stressed.
At the same event, Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said the agriculture sector is grateful for the support President Lungu has given it.
“I will soon be issuing a statutory instrument on exports as requested by stakeholders,” Mr. Katambo said.
Earlier, President Lungu met traditional leaders based in Mpika before touring the stands at the national agriculture field day.
Among the chiefs the President met were Kopa, Chiundaponde and Mukwikile.
The President has since returned to Lusaka from Mpika
Lungu then why is the economy flat and Zambia classed as the 4th hungriest nation? I see fragility and depression instead of resilience.
Lungu is taking the praise of the country enjoying good rains this year? Hypocrisy knows no bounds!
“To grow the middle class, expand the benefits of economic growth to all Americans, and leave the United States more competitive, President Biden’s American Families Plan will:
* Add at least four years of free education. Investing in education is a down payment on the future of America. As access to high school became more widely available at the turn of the 20th Century, it made us the best-educated and best-prepared nation in the world. But everyone knows that 12 years is not enough today. The American Families Plan will make transformational investments from early childhood to postsecondary education so that all children and young people are able to grow, learn, and gain the skills they need to succeed. It will provide universal, quality-preschool to all three- and four- year-olds…
– It will provide Americans two years of free community college.”-WH.gov
PF time out, third term is not going to make us Compete with the world.
“Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic growth for years to come. These are good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced. Nearly 90% of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs Plan do not require a college degree. 75% do not require an associate’s degree“-President Biden addresses a joint session of Congress.
Yes the government agricultural policies are a huge success: no potatoes or carrots to be found anywhere, and when you see them prices have quadrupled. And now Lungu listens to the rich millers and stop exports. Good for the four big already rich millers, but killing for 16 million ordinary Zambians! August 12 can’t come fast enough!
With a great hardworking leader like you, we can achieve anything. Thank you my boss
Sorry to my fans and haters, I have been quiet as I am busy working hard to prepare for August elections.
I must say that the country’s agriculture sector has bloomed beautifully and we must give credit to Mr. President and his administration for this achievement.
We cannot forget that the nation has exported blueberries in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic. This shows the potential of Zambia!
It feels nice that even small scales farmer’s lives are improving now because of continuous help from President Lungu’s government. They are earning well and feeding their families. This scenario was absent in the past.
Wonder why such events were not conducted by the previous presidents. We must thank President Lungu for such a wonderful initiative, considering the farmer’s point of view.
President Lungu aimed to make the agriculture sector export-oriented. Hence, educating the small-scale farmers about the same.
Like the Mpika district, there are other districts whose production of crops has increased since 2016.
Even haters will say that the agriculture sector is doing a commendable job!
It is indeed growing, that is why many Zambian youths have turned to the agriculture sector. They are benefiting through several schemes by President Lungu.
The growth ratio of the agriculture sector is always moving higher under the PF government. Favorable land, climatic condition, and timely distribution of fertilizers helped the sector to grow.
The President always emphasizes knowledge is power. Many farmers including small-scale farmers gained knowledge from agriculture experts which helped in boosting the productivity and agricultural output.