President Hakainde Hichilema has called for collaborative efforts within the region to combat food insecurity, as the nation grapples with the impact of regional food instability exacerbated by climate challenges and conflicts in neighboring countries.
During a meeting with the World Food Programme Director for the Southern Africa Development Community Region (SADC), Menghestab Haile, President Hichilema highlighted the vulnerability of the region’s food security. He emphasized the challenges posed by prolonged droughts, flash floods, and the looming El Niño, which negatively affect food production opportunities, as witnessed last year.
President Hichilema underscored the importance of addressing the insecurity in Eastern Congo, which remains a top agenda item for the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security. He emphasized that the instability in Eastern Congo has far-reaching implications for the development of neighboring nations in the region. Vulnerable groups, including children, women, and the elderly, are displaced, oppressed, and deprived of their lives and access to food.
In response to the situation, SADC has decided to establish a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), enabling leaders to meet and collaborate on measures to stabilize the country and provide humanitarian aid to those affected.
While Zambia has sufficient food for domestic consumption, President Hichilema acknowledged the pressure stemming from neighboring countries that face food shortages, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, the East African corridor, Malawi, and others. This increased demand has impacted food prices within Zambia.
President Hichilema affirmed Zambia’s determination to enhance agricultural productivity for both domestic consumption and exports beyond the region. He appealed to the World Food Programme for expertise to develop strategies to mitigate the anticipated El Niño’s impact in the region.
Zambia possesses favorable agronomic conditions suitable for a variety of foods, but the president stressed the need for full exploitation of this potential and the incorporation of technology in agriculture.
Menghestab Haile, the World Food Programme Director, urged leaders in the SADC region, with Zambia currently chairing the SADC Troika on Politics, Defense, and Security, to play a central role in addressing the Eastern Congo crisis. He revealed the dire humanitarian situation, with approximately 800,000 people displaced and about 50 women subjected to sexual violence daily, underlining the urgency for governments to allocate resources to address these issues.
Mr. Haile commended the Zambian government for its governance and leadership, describing Zambia as one of the two SADC member states offering promising change in the region. He stressed the role of Zambia in addressing food insecurity, emphasizing the need for SADC leaders to prepare for the expected El Niño by securing necessary resources.
In addition to discussions on food security and regional challenges, President Hichilema appointed and swore in Kennedy Lishimpe as the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services and Etambuyu Anamela as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Permanent Secretary for International Relations and Cooperation. The president encouraged the newly sworn-in officials to prioritize public service and urged them to work towards economic diplomacy and overcoming drug availability challenges in health facilities. He noted the importance of public servants upholding ethical standards in their roles.
Mr Puppet is a liar. Just give each small scale farmers 4 bags urea and 4 bags D- compound plus seed and Zambia will be food secure whether there’s war in DRC or not. Otherwise you’re talking nonsense
The IMF instructed him to remove subsidies on electricity, water, fuel, and agriculture as a condition for the loan. If Zambia were to maintain food security, and if I were Hunger Hinde, I would hire more Extension Officers to assist farmers in increasing their production yields from the current 2 tons per Ha to 10 tons per Ha. This would help reduce the break-even cost, despite higher input prices. Farmers still practice field burning, have poor weed control, inadequate spacing and plant population, limited fertilization or composting, inadequate pest control, lack of irrigation knowledge, and poor land husbandry. However, Hunger Hinde will do as he pleases; who am I to advise Mr. Know-It-All?
What is food security if your own citizens cannot afford to buy the food?
Bread K20
Sugar K50
Mealie Meal K300
Meat …..Not afforadable( It is infested with Anthrax anyway)
So what is food security.
He’s quoted somewhere: I tell people what to do but they do the wrong things.
Someone suggested that he should tell them the wrong things so that they can do the right things.
Mr. President , its ur govt which came up the idea of exporting maize to earn the dollars to stabilise your Kawcha. You excited the congolese, Tanzanians and Kenyans and promised them Zambia has huge stocks of maize for them to buy. Then your stocks ran out and your own people started lining up for mealie meal.And the price of the staple food is beyond the reach of your citizens. You have now killed the milling industry by engaging the military(ZNS) to start milling . You also increased the price of fertilzer beyond the reach of peasant farmers.It wont work Sir. There is food insecurity in this country.
Does ZNS have the capacity to mill and to build 10,000 km of roads? Is it the new ZIMCO?
People can’t afford the high price of mealie meal ati food security. You are all dogs including your hh. Tell him I said so. If I ever meet hh I will punch the life out of him
Imagined food security it should be called
Kwena paliba ama stance pa Zambia kikikiki! Is Lishimpe a soldier? Why the “Attention!” posture?-LOL The president has an unsteady posture looks like he isnt sure of himself.
And why so many Permanent Secretaries? Are we going to pay all these?
Newly sworn in Permanent Secretaries Kennedy Lishimpe as the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services and Etambuyu Anamela as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Yes big man. How you?
Are those gloves reserved for blacks? He doesnt put them on when he meets the German president who comes from covid infested Europe.
He hates his own race that f00I
@BlackstransmitCholera.
No. Anthrax
He’s quoted somewhere: I tell people what to do but they do the wrong things.
Someone suggested that he should tell them the wrong things so that they can do the right things.