Vice President commends Muchinga Province for bumper harvest

Vice President Mutale Nalumango has commended the people of Muchinga Province for a significant bumper harvest during the 2024/2025 farming season.

Mrs Nalumango says the province contributed remarkably to the country’s food basket recovery following a severe drought in the previously.

The media reports that Mrs Nalumango said this when she met three traditional leaders in Chinsali District at the Provincial Administration this morning.

Mrs Nalumango further assured farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) that the government will continue paying them.

She said the Government had a target of purchasing over 500, 000 metric tons of white maize from farmers but farmers produced over 4 million metric tons which is a good move.

“As Government we ensured that all the maize that was produced by farmers was bought from all the farmers and payments are underway,” she said.

Mrs Nalumango explained that the Government has made strides in purchasing all the maize even that which was not budgeted for.

She added that the Government will continue working with various stakeholders to ensure farmers continue getting their payments.

“We are already paying farmers and those that have remained will continue receiving their monies as the government is doing everything possible,” she added.

The Vice President further congratulated the farmers in Muchinga Province and encouraged them to contribute more in the next farming season.

And Mrs Nalumango has since assured the traditional leaders in Chinsali District that the Chinsali-Safwa road will be worked on.

She said the government is aware of the challenges residents are facing on the road, saying that it remains committed to ensuring that its people are connected through road infrastructure development.

“I will take the issue of the Chinsali-Safwa road seriously as it is a critical issue to you, our traditional leaders and the community as a whole,” she said.

Mrs Nalumango stated that the Government wants to complete all the unfinished projects throughout the country in a bid to bring development.

The Vice President further called on the Provincial Administration to ensure the yellow machines are utilised in ensuring infrastructure development is achieved.

And speaking earlier on behalf of other traditional leaders, Senior Chief Nkula of the Bemba people of Chinsali District appealed to the government to consider working on the Chinsali-Safwa road.

Chief Nkula said the road is critical as it hinders development in various areas as it connects Chinsali District to Kasama in Northern Province.

“As traditional leaders we appeal to the government to consider working on this road next year, residents can’t even travel well as it is in a deplorable state,” he said.

Senior Chief Nkula added that farmers are also failing to transport their produce due to the bad state of the road.

The Vice President who arrived this morning in Chinsali District in Muchinga Province for a two (2) day working visit is this afternoon expected to commission Shiwang’andu Civic Centre before proceeding to Mpika District for other government engagements.