‘Costly mealie meal, a wake-up call’

Chief Chipepo said crop diversification was the only way to go as the unstable rainfall patterns might not guarantee a good maize harvest.

He noted that the increased prices of the staple food and hunger in some parts of the country was caused by drought and other climate change effects.

He said it was pointless to concentrate on maize farming considering the harsh climatic conditions that the country was experiencing. The traditional leader told the Daily Nation in an interview that the country should consider cultivating other crops such as soya beans, cow peas, groundnuts, mixed beans, bananas and cassava.

He said Zambia was endowed with vast arable of land for cultivation of almost every crop.

The chief urged Government, farmers unions and other national agricultural organisations to promote the cultivation of other crops. Chief Chipepo noted that some of the alternative crops to maize required less rainfall and mature early, which he said was a huge advantage.

He added that the tendency to depend on maize alone even when it had shown signs of failure must stop.

Chief Chipepo observed that Government had over the years wasted a lot of resources in times of food distress and drought through the distribution of relief maize to affected areas.

He said had the same communities diversified into cultivation of other crops, they would have enough disposable income to buy other food -stuffs of their choice.

It is pointless to concentrate on maize farming considering the harsh climatic conditions that the country is experiencing.

In THE increase in the prices of mealie meal is a wake-up call for Zambians to consider crop diversification as opposed to concentrating on maize production alone, Chief Chipepo of the Tonga People of Southern Province has said.