The Japanese Government has given the Zambia government a grant of K12 billion for the importation of fertilizer for the 2009/10 farming season.
Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hideto Mitamura signed on behalf of Japan while Finance and National planning Minister, Ng’andu Magande signed for the Zambian government.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lusaka today, Mr. Magande said the fertilizer which will be procured using the grants will be added to the Fertilizer Support Program (FSP) and will target small scale farmers in Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi in the central province.
Mr. Magande noted that the grant will enable small scale farmers in the two districts to acquire agriculture inputs necessary for increasing food production.
He charged that most small scale farmers have been constrained to increasing food production due to among other reasons the lack of modern agriculture inputs and high transportation costs.
Mr. Magande however said the ministry of finance and energy is looking at ways of reducing the prices of fuel as a way of mitigating the cost of production.
Mr. Magande also disclosed that most farmers have already received fertilizers under the FSP for the forthcoming farming season.
He noted that this years farming inputs have been heavily subsidized by government to enable more farmers to acquire the inputs for increased food production.
Mr. Magande hoped that small scale farmers in Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi who will acquire the fertilizer under the Japanese grant will use them productively in order to increase yields and quantities.
Meanwhile Zambia and Japan have also signed records of discussions for the Zambia policy dialogue on economic cooperation.
Mr. Magande noted that the Zambia-Japan policy dialogue which takes place every year seeks to indicate the priority areas of the national development plan with a view to aligning the aid from Japan to Zambia.
He noted that the record of discussions is an important document for planning and managing the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) with regard to theJapanese financial and technical support.
Mr. Magande expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for the support it has continued to render to Zambia in the vast areas of development.
Speaking Earlier, Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hideto Mitamura said increased agriculture production and productivity are critical for the effective implementation of FNDP.
Mr. Mitamura noted that the grant is the second assistance which the Japanese government has extended to Zambia’s agriculture sector directly related to poverty reduction in 2008 alone.
He hoped that the grants will go along way towards the enhancing the quality of life for the people of Zambia as well as contributing to the country’s economic and social development.
ZANIS/YK/AM/ENDS