‘ALLOCATE MORE FUNDS TO AGRO RESEARCH’

AL LOCATE more funds to the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) for the country to be able develop climate resilient crops, Government has been urged.

Dziwa Science and Technology (DSAT) executive director, Veronica Mwaba stated that calls on government to increase funds for developing climate resilient crops should be taken seriously considering the devastating effects of climate change that had negatively affected the country’s agriculture sector.

She said the reduction of K4 million in agriculture research funding for the year 2020 was going to make it difficult for scientists to discover procedures that protect the environment and crops from pests and diseases.

Ms. Mwaba said Government should reconsider its decision to cut funding for agriculture research as this was going affect the gains the country had so far achieved in the sector.

‘’It is important for the government to reconsider its position and allocate more resources for research and development. Furthermore, key stakeholders should note that the amount of research that goes on at ZARI is what the agricultural sector needs and should never be underestimated,’’ she stated.

Ms Mwaba stated that giving Agric research top priority was not only going to allow the country to be food secure but would also was going to ensure the cost of farming was brought down as farmers were not going to spend money on buying insecticides to fight pests. She said research had shown that the climate change impact would be divesting by 2044 and