We’ll create conducive conditions for agro growth – President Lungu

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says his government is committed to putting in place infrastructure such as feeder roads, irrigation facilities and storage sheds to achieve a flourishing agricultural sector. President Lungu said he was keen to accelerate agriculture development in the country and particularly North Western Province as that was one of “our economy’s priority sector.” Mr Lungu was speaking during the launch of the 2018/2019 planting season in Mwinilunga yesterday. Mr Lungu said Government will continue to facilitate the growth of the agricultural sector by devising conducive policies aimed at promoting investment and increased production and value addition. “To achieve a flourishing agricultural sector, Government is committed to putting in place infrastructure such as feeder roads, irrigation facilities and storage sheds. “In that regard, I wish to note that recently, the Food Reserve Agency constructed storage facilities in Zambezi and Mwinilunga with storage capacity of 6, 000 metric tonnes and 5, 000 metric tonnes respectively,” President Lungu said. He however, said the performance of the agriculture sector is also dependent on a number of factors some of which are natural occurrences such as the changing of climatic conditions as was the case during the 2017/2018 farming season. “The situation during this agricultural season resulted in some parts of the country, especially the southern half of the country receiving erratic rains thereby negatively affecting agricultural production,” Mr Lungu said. He however said regardless of its unfavourable effects, Government is working tirelessly to ensure that farmers are encouraged to practice and adopt good agricultural practices which includes conservation farming methods and agro forestry. He said Zambia is fortunate as it has three agro ecological regions with low medium and high rainfall patterns. “Currently, the rainfall pattern in our country has shifted towards the northern parts of the country. This has been shown by the recent high crop production figures in Northern, Muchinga and Luapula provinces,” he said. He has urged the people of North Western Province to utilise the good natural resources and and favourable rainfall pattern to increase agricultural production. He also urged traditional leaders to embrace both local and foreign investors who may be interested in investing in agricultural production as it will steer the province to another level in agricultural production. He said he is confident that the province is poised to be the new Copperbelt of Zambia with the massive new mining investments in Lumwana and Kalumbila. “With such investments, more people will be attracted to this province in search of employment and business activities as is the case now. “This entails that there will be increased demand for food in the region, therefore it goes without saying that the province must take up this challenge,” he said. He was accompanied by Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe, Minister of Agriculture, Michael Katambo and Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, Kampamba Mulenga.