Promoting climate smart livestock production
IN a bid to promote climate smart livestock production technologies, involving improved pastures and animal health, government is implementing a climate resilient livestock management project in Muchinga and Northern provinces.
In his address to Parliament, Republican President Edgar Lungu said the project is aimed at promoting climate smart livestock production technologies, involving improved pastures, animal health service delivery and manure management.
He said the same project areas; government is stocking and restocking dairy cattle and small ruminants.
Mr Lungu said that government has also constructed three milk processing plants in Mpika, Kasama and Mbala to strengthen the value chain.
He stated that government remains committed to ensuring agricultural diversification agenda both in crop, and in the fish and livestock sub-sectors remains top.
“Our rural farmers are now producing value-added goods, using mechanized techniques in the businesses and have expanded their variety of goods and services. Additionally, more than 29, 000 jobs have been created so far under the value chain development programme.
And Mr Lungu said government will provide sustainable development among the poor and vulnerable people in the midst of the new phenomenon of climate change adding that government has continued to increase the coverage of social protection interventions, especially in rural areas.
The Head of State said the world and Zambia in particular is facing a very serious problem which cannot be avoided.
He said Government is committed to ensuring that it vigorously fights the effects of climate change.
“We all heard the term ‘elniño and the el niño effects’ that started causing devastating effects around the world through changes in the climatic conditions.
“Climate change is the current world challenge, greatly hindering the development of many nations. Climate change is real.
“It is a phenomenon that the entire world is facing in different ways according to the weather patterns of different regions.
“My fellow countrymen and women, I would like you to fully understand that this is not my problem alone, nor the problem of my government alone and I would like to appeal to you all that, as we journey along in the sustainable development of our country, we do so by ensuring we mitigate the effects of climate change,” he said.
He called on citizens to protect and conserve the environment and utilize natural resources in a sustainable manner.
“We must all, therefore, take necessary steps to contribute to creating a climate resilient economy. This is not for government alone.
“We are in this together. Individuals and communities, civil society and faithbased organizations and the corporate world.
Meanwhile Mr Lungu disclosed that government is supporting agriculture beyond rain-fed farming, through irrigation programmes.
He said recently he was in Kafue to launch the Chiansi irrigation scheme at the Zambia national service farm. The President added that this is a decisive intervention in combating the effects of climate change in Zambia.
Mr Lungu further advised farmers to explore other farming opportunities such as fruits that exist, according to soils and climatic conditions Adding that they are a great sources of nutrition and can yield massive returns if invested in very well.
“Let us be a people that open our thinking horizon beyond the conventional reliance on maize as the only source of investment.
He disclosed that it is estimated that the Chiansi irrigation scheme project will create at least 400 jobs for the locals as well as reduce the vulnerability of smallscale farmers to the effects of climate change and that the project has also targeted 1,000 households and 1,800 hectares of land for irrigation using pipelines and canals to be accessed by the community.
He further explained that government is implementing the aquaculture enterprise development programme.
Mr. Lungu said the programme, which is targeting 12,000 beneficiaries across the country, is empowering women and youths with skills in fish farming, value addition, trading and business administration. He observed that fish farming has the potential to uplift people from abject poverty and contribute to the economic growth, if taken with keen interest in it and tap on the opportunities being made available by government.