Paramount Chief Chitimukulu has disclosed that the Bemba Royal Establishment (BRE) has engaged a consultant to carry out a survey aimed at boosting agricultural productivity in Northern Province.
The Mwine Lubemba observed that the province is blessed with a favorable rainfall pattern and that should serve as Zambia’s breadbasket hence the need for the survey to find ways of boosting productivity.
The Mwine Lubemba made the remarks when Chief Mumena of Kaonde people of Kalumbila District in north Western province visited him at his palace in Mungwi.
He explained that the survey will provide expert technical advice on soil quality and crop suitability, helping farmers maximize yields and strengthen food security.
“We want to know what kind of crops are suitable for our province because Northern Province should be the country’s food basket due to the favorable rain pattern. We need technical advice from experts, for example on our soils,” the Mwine Lubemba Chitimukulu said.
The Mwine Lubemba has noted that agriculture remains the backbone of rural livelihoods and national food security and the survey will be key in boosting food security.
He said the Bemba Royal Establishment initiative was designed to position Northern Province as a leading contributor to Zambia’s grain and crop supply and strengthening the economy.
And Chief Mumena urged traditional leaders to safeguard customary land, warning that indiscriminate allocation of land in some parts of the country was threatening local communities’ access to the vital land resource.
The traditional leader said it was regrettable that land was being given out without proper regulation, often to foreign interests.
“The colonial mentality that started has not stopped. We have foreigners acquiring land at an alarming rate in the name of development, of course looking for precious minerals,” Chief Mumena added.
He stressed that while development was welcome, it should not come at the expense of local communities who depend on land for farming and livelihoods.
And Pentecostal Assemblies of God Presiding Bishop, Joshua Banda, praised Mwine Lubemba Chitimukulu for spearheading efforts to engage a consultant in boosting agricultural productivity in Northern Province.
Professor Banda said the region was blessed with fertile soils, good rainfall and vast tracts of land that remain underutilized.
“You have so much land, good rainfall that we cannot compare to any other region. Unfortunately, the locals do not take this endowment seriously,” he observed.
The Bishop explained that the church has responded to the protecting land by establishing an organization called Impanga Emayo.
“The initiative is designed to empower small-scale farmers with knowledge and support to help them increase yields and take advantage of the province’s natural resources in this case land, to use for their benefit,” he added.
Professor Banda stressed that initiatives like Impanga Emayo complement the Bemba Royal Establishment’s vision of transforming Northern Province into Zambia’s breadbasket.
He further said that by equipping farmers with practical skills and technical guidance, the church hopes to inspire communities to fully exploit their agricultural potential.
