The Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI) said it cannot conduct Genetic Modified Organisms (GMOs) test because of lack of machinery.

SCCI Chief Seed Officer, Marble Simwanza, attributed this to lack of modern equipment as GMOs have a foreign genetic trait characteristic to be detected when conducting such a test.

Mrs. Simwanza says government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives (MACO), instead takes samples to South Africa where GMO tests are conducted because they cannot be done in Zambia.

Mrs. Simwanza was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.

She, however, said other seed tests can successfully be done in the country such as seed health, analytical purity, germination capacity, moisture content, seed size and uniformity.

She said seed testing is officially conducted at the main seed testing laboratory in Chilanga while SCCI has five other seed testing satellite stations in Eastern, Western, North-western, Copperbelt and Northern Provinces.

She disclosed that private seed testing is conducted at ZAMSEED and Dunavant laboratories respectively.

Mrs. Simwanza explained that the primary function of seed testing stations is to evaluate the quality of seeds in ensuring that farmers get the best seed when they plant.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Simwanza has cautioned seed companies selling seed that they risked being de-registered if they abrogate the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) rules and regulations.

According to Mrs. Simwanza, any seed company should sign the Orange Certificate Agreement Form before exporting any seed abroad.

She said the form binds the exporting and importing country together in ensuring that all seed tests were conducted in uniformity to international standards.

ZANIS/ENDS/KC/EB.

Habitat for Humanity Zambia (HFHZ) today handed over a three bed roomed house to an orphaned and vulnerable family of Chazanga compound in Lusaka.

The family comprising three girls aged 19, 17, and 11 and a boy aged 9 years old have been living in a makeshift shelter since 2003 after their house in Ngombe compound was demolished in the same year due to a land dispute.

Speaking at the function First Republican president, Kenneth Kaunda said, it is the principle of loving ones neighbor that drives HFHZ to care for orphans and vulnerable children.

Dr. Kaunda urged Zambians to embrace the principle of loving each other in order to help each other.

He thanked the Irish Aid and the other cooperating partners for coming to the aid of the orphans and vulnerable people in society.

A representative of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), Desiree Adaway, revealed that HFHI has built 3000 houses and has put 1.5 million people into decent housing.

Handing over the House, Habitat for Humanity Zambia Board Chairperson, Mary Kazunga said HFHZ renovates and builds houses for orphans and vulnerable children using money from donors like USAID, Irish Aid, Churches, and individuals among others.

Mrs. Kazunga disclosed that HFHZ has built and renovated over 2,000 houses in six provinces in Zambia under two housing schemes.

She also revealed that Habitat for Humanity was in 2008 awarded grant funding under the Civil Society Fund to improve the lives of orphans and vulnerable children and their caregivers in Lusaka and Ndola.

Mrs. Kazunga said HFH’s work aligns closely with Irish Aid’s policy goals of reducing poverty and promoting sustainable, equitable development by focusing on a root cause of community disenfranchisement and impoverishment.

ZANIS/PM/MKM/ENDS.

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.