Resolve Congo DR, Katumbi impasse – SACCORD
By PETER MALASHA GOVERNMENT should set up a feed processing plant in Mkushi to improve fish farming in the area, an agriculturalist has said.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Patrick Lukwesa, who is also a fish farmer and Fikosa Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited projects director, said there was need for Government to set up the feed processing plant because there were many fish farmers in the area who would utilise the facility to improve fish farming.
Mr. Lukwesa said the feed processing plant in Mkushi would be economical as many farmers would utilise the feed for livestock production, adding that small scale livestock farmers lacked nutritional feed for their animals.
He said the feed from the processing plant would enable the production of high quality fish and pork products.
Mr. Lukwesa said the plant would also promote fish farming.
“l am appealing to Government to consider establishing a feed processing plant in Mkushi. Mkushi is the hub of crop production such as wheat, maize, soya beans among others, which will supply and support the plant," Mr Lukwesa said.
He said establishing the feed plant would not only benefit Mkushi but the whole country.
And Mr. Lukwesa said Mkushi had potential for farming which he said was steadily growing but farmers lacked hatcheries, adding that fingelings at Government ponds were expensive coupled with distance to the area.
He said there was need for Government to open more hatcheries for breeding and easy access by people intending to venture into fish farming. By NATION REPORTER THE situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo should be quickly resolved as peace in that country is crucial to Africa, says the Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD).
According to SACCORD, the issue of Presidential aspirant Moise Katumbi who was barred from entering Congo DR to file his nomination papers, should not be ignored by regional bodies and Africa as a whole.
SACCORD executive director Boniface Cheembe said in an interview that Africa should take keen interest in bringing about peace in Congo DR, especially that she was Zambia’s neighbour.
Mr Cheembe said the strategic importance of Congo DR to Africa, the Southern Africa region and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), could not be overemphasised.
“The DRC needs peace and all stakeholders have a responsibility to provide the necessary peace in the country, for the sake of the entire continent,” he said.
Congo DR, Mr Cheembe added, should also ensure that all individuals who were eligible and had shown interest to contest in the coming polls be given an opportunity to participate without hindrance.
“We hope the issue of Mr Moise Katumbi who was denied entry in that country can be attended to by the DRC authorities and ensure free and fair elections for all,” he said.
Mr Cheembe said a stable path towards political stability should be restored as an avenue to ensure peace prevailed.
Mr Katumbi had remained in Kitwe at the weekend after he was denied entry into Congo DR by immigration authorities in that country and had up to yesterday (today) to file his nomination papers.