FARMERS in Eastern Province have been challenged to change farming methods in order to increase their agricultural productivity.

Eastern Province Minister, Isaac Banda, said if farmers changed and improved on seed varieties, grow other crops, increase on the production of fish and animals, they would be able to diversify their limited resources and generate more income.

Mr. Banda was speaking in a speech read on his behalf by Chipata District Commissioner, Nicholas Banda, when he officiated at this year’s Farmers’ Field Day held at Msekera Research Institute in Chipata yesterday, under the theme, ‘Challenge of Change’.

He said government had put in place a number of programmes to revamp the agricultural sector and one of those was to encourage farmers change ways of farming in order to transform the present crisis.

‘’ During this event, we have been presented with very important tools that include knowledge and simple adaptable methods of changing our way of farming,’’ Mr Banda said.

The minister emphasized that with this year’s theme, there could still be a way to make things better, adding that the agricultural scientists and partnering seed companies had demonstrated that farmers had a rare opportunity of increasing agricultural productivity despite the prevailing world crises of food, energy, finance and environment.

Eastern Province Agricultural Coordinator, Obvious Kabinda, called on farmers to work as a team when determining prices for their crops.

Dr. Kabinda said most farmers were being exploited by unscrupulous business persons because they did not work in collaboration when determining prices.

‘’ Farmers should always think of how much they have spent in farming before arriving at prices when negotiating with buyers,’’ he said.

Dr. Kabinda said farmers should realize that farming is a business and it was up to them to determine the prices when selling crops so that they could recover what they spent during cultivating and make profit.

Earlier, a Farmer, Kelvin Mawere, from Chimvano section in Msekera, complained that traders were exploiting farmers when buying crops because the merchants approached them with prices already fixed.

ZANIS/ENDS/SM/EB.

The Ministry of Communications and Transport has improved communication system in Luwingu district by installing a new digital switch at ZAMTEL exchange to replace the analogue which was installed in early 1970s.

This was revealed by Luwingu District Commissioner, George Mwamba, who said the gesture will go a long way in alleviating communication problems faced by the district in the recent past.

Mr. Mwamba said the digital facility installed at the exchange has a provision for internet browsing which people should have access to.

Mr. Mwamba said following the improvement of communication system by ZAMTEL, the district will gain maximum development as many investors willing to invest in the district will no longer be complaining of lack of internet facilities.

“I am now inviting would-be investors to invest in the district as the area is now connected to the outside world through the provision of internet facilities at Zamtel offices,” added Mr. Mwamba.

He said the people of Luwingu are happy with the development which he said would enable them communicate effectively using internet services.

Northern Province ZAMTEL area manager, Fred Mwenya, confirmed that his company has installed a high speed digital switch which will carry, among other things the internet and fax facilities.

Mr. Mwenya said the demonstration on how to use the internet will be done at Luwingu high school next week in order to sensitize the community.

ZANIS/ENDS/EP/EB.

Government has disclosed that plans are underway to broaden and strengthen the capacity of all research and Information institutions in the country.

Health Minster, Kapembwa Simbao says with the increasing demand for information in the country, research institutions can play an important role in providing accurate information on developmental programmes.

Speaking when he officiated at the launch of the 2007 Zambia Demography Health Survey (ZDHS) report in Lusaka today, Mr. Simbao noted that through strengthening of research institutions, national surveys will be concluded in time.

Mr. Simbao explained the ZDHS report is an important document which will assist government in evaluating what is needed to attain the fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He said ZDHS reports also play a critical role in the understanding of Social and economy indicators for many people.

He said there is need for all stakeholders to partner with government and ensure that national survey projects are well funded if they are to produce good results.

He further reaffirmed government’s commitment to provide support to projects aimed at providing information for national consumption.

Earlier United Nations Resident Coordinator, Macleod Nyirongo, said in view of the global recession there is need for Zambia to have reliable developmental information to re-focus and track progress towards reaching the goals of vision 2030, FNDP and the MDGs.

Mr. Nyirongo explained that with six more years to the attainment of MDGs, the ZDHS report will assist stakeholders in engaging in critical analysis of the findings and understanding the implications of the results.

He called for concerted efforts from partners in coming up with good innovative approaches and interventions to the gaps that still exist in the report.

He has also disclosed that the UN system in Zambia with cooperating partners have engaged in further detailed triangulation of the ZDHS 2007 report with other studies such as the EPI-synthesis.

The UN Envoy further appealed to Zambian to utilize the results of the survey in re-adjusting their strategic and Programme focus for enhancing human development in the country in the remaining two-years of two FNDP 2006-2010.

Central Statistical Office (CSO), Director Efreda Chulu, said ZDHS report provides key indicators that inform the nation on important health programmes.

Mrs. Chulu pointed out that accurate information on both the population and national projects are vital in strengthening of the information generation.

She disclosed that CSO as an organization tasked by the government to carry out the survey, faced a lot of challenges ranging from inadequate resources to ignorance on the part of most citizens due to lack of information.

She also reiterated the importance of having a good census, adding that surveys like the ZDHS draw their samples from the total national census.

ZANIS/MM/MKM/ENDS.

A Zambian economist has urged the African leaders scheduled to meet UK’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown ahead of next month’s G20 summit on the economic recession to highlight issues that will cushion the impact of economic meltdown on the African continent.

Dr. Francis Chigunta said African leaders should use this opportunity to push for an international regulatory framework that would support the economic growth and development of Africa.

Dr. Chigunta told ZANIS that the current international regulatory framework on economic growth was heavily stuck on the already developed countries thereby disadvantaging the developing world.

Dr. Chigunta said there was need for African leaders to ask the bilateral organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to be lenient on the conditions when giving financial assistance as they continue rendering support.

He said the leaders needed to see to it that the conditions that they would be given would not further burden the African Nations which were already affected by the crunch.

Dr. Chigunta also said it would not be fair for South Africa to be the country that would represent the entire continent at the April 2nd G20 summit to be held in UK.

Dr. Chigunta said South Africa’s economy was more developed hence the impact of the crunch was not as grave as it had been on other developing countries.

He said South Africa was not likely to fully represent all the African Nations but that there was need for the continent to be represented by a country with a developing economy and not an intermediate country.

According to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Gordon Brown will meet African leaders to discuss their concerns on how their economies have been affected by the global downturn ahead of the G20 summit with South Africa being the only African country to attend the event.

ZANIS/MP/MKM/ENDS