Friday, March 29, 2024

Social Economist on delayed farming inputs and Zambia’s debt restructuring

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A Social Economist Kelvin Chisanga has expressed divergent views on the repercussions of delayed delivery of farming inputs to farmers and the Zambia debt restructuring, as China seems to be holding breaks on Zambia’s debt restructuring process.

Mr Chisanga says the delayed delivery of farming input poises potential risk to food security in the country, adding that the late delivery of farmer input support program is definitely poising with such a huge potential risk factors to the nutrition and food security to Zambia as a country to begin with, and as a serious resourceful commodity player to the region.

He noted that Zambia has changed the narratives over time on food security since the introduction of farmer input support program (FISP), as the nation used to be a net importer of maize.

“I vividly remember, we had an importation of yellow maize during Chiluba’s administration under agriculture minister by then Guy Scott, a situation that was also myriad with a lot of hot talks and this was an immediacy import to cushion the effects of supply deficit at a time which highly characterized with a pressing huge demand for maize in the country,” he mentioned

Mr Chisanga explained that food security has a potential risk standing in the way of economic growth, as this looks like a serious inflation sitting to make spikes sooner than they think of it in full expectations, especially if farming input further delays on the delivery process to the intended farming areas.

“This year has taken a different twist as we have kept improving on this policy model since the MMD times, especially in contrast to the times of nowadays considering the fact that we are experiencing of dramatic situations that the world is faced with, and we have noticed that Agriculture input support distribution has taken longer than expected during this farming season,” he stated

Mr Chisanga noted that this is such a big threat on both food security and nutritional health for next financial year, especially if not properly taken into typical considerations of expeditious means with the speedy required in distribution process of farmer input support program of raw materials, as this also poises even more serious risk factors to the upcoming and yet to be rebranded agriculture comprehensive support program.

Meanwhile, on Zambia debt restructuring, Mr Chisanga disclosed that Zambia’s debt question is still in a potential risk to the projected growth path for 2023 fiscus, and this poises such a serious factor to the actual outcome expected of the many planned things around debt restructuring process, as China is seeming to be the toughest element on this part of the debt restructuring process.

Mr Chisanga added that the debt restructuring process has emerged with a serious impingement to enable it, post required macroeconomic stabilization on the overall fiscal status as planned for the financial year 2023, this process of almost coming back to the drawing table is now a standing potential of acute risk to the economic growth patterns coupled with other uncontrollable external factors.

He noted that the issue at hand has such a very serious case which will work quite contrary to the country’s energetic drive of fostering stability with the macroeconomic environment, and the projected turnaround growth in terms of prospective deliverables, will ultimately be derailed and driven away, given the outturn in prevailing circumstances.

“However, we are equally having a strong witness of the similar patterns and a case in point, with the government of Ethiopia, as the east African country has also faced almost a similar case in scenario, and the EFF/ECF which were already granted pretty earlier than Zambia have since now been put on suspense, waiting for tangible guarantees which will still come out of the creditor’s committee final approval,” he said

Mr Chisanga cited that so, as for Zambia, things were pretty looking up, on a good turn-out, with an absolutely key effulgence support of IMF and with a strong propensity heading in positive affirmative directions, but now going forward, they should be looking level-headed on a firmly benchmarked renegotiation process, as a key component but hoping to still unlock this puzzle or perhaps holding down hopes with alternatives in spinning off, around this national debt portfolio in question.

2 COMMENTS

  1. This is the problem when leaders are conflicted. The UPND can’t firmly deal with fertilizer suppliers because they’re the dealers. Further, they’re not telling the truth. People that have traveled long distances to banking facilities are being turned away that they can only deposit their K400 after 28 November which means that they can’t redeem their fertilizer until December. They’re now panicking because the rains have started. It’s painful to watch it rain and there’s nothing you can do. Please have empathy, you’re dealing with humans not lifeless matter without emotion

  2. Correction importation of yellow maize was during the Unip era. Please do research before publishing articles.
    Yes it is a shame that the Lufwanyama MP campaigned on the platform of improved farm programs emphasizing that since HH was a big farmer things were going to improve tremendoously.

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