ECL for CB agro boost
PRESIDENT Lungu wants the Copperbelt Province to stop depending on mining but diversify into the agriculture sector, the provincial administration has said.
Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe said the region has been the largest contributor to Zambia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for years even though the mainstay has been mining activities.
Mr. Nundwe said this in Ndola at the weekend when Nyimba Investment officials led by Head-Sales and Marketing Manager Willings Mulenedema paid a courtesy call on him.
He said President Lungu wants to ensure the Copperbelt province contributes to national bumper harvest and he therefore implored input distributing companies to ensure timely delivery of the commodities.
“The President has been saying that let agriculture be the mainstay of our economy and agriculture be serious business. I have seen trucks rolling in delivering inputs and this is because the President has said that let the province not entirely depend on mining,” said Mr Nundwe.
He was impressed that Nyimba had started distributing the inputs way ahead of the farming season, saying the move would help farmers plan in good time.
With Nyimba distributing the commodity, Mr. Nundwe said he did not expect excuses from farmers.
And Mr. Mulendema said Nyimba was contracted to supply 32, 550 metric tonnes of fertiliser, which comprises 21,028 metric tonnes of D Compound and 11, 522 metric tonnes of urea.
He said Nyimba was scheduled to complete the delivery of all the required quantities by the end of July.
“On our part we are expected to complete the total deliveries in the next two weeks. We have all the quantities for the entire country in our main hub in Lusaka and for the Copperbelt. We are certain that we will complete in the next two weeks. Timely delivery is our key strategy, ‘’Mr Mulendema said
And Masaiti District Commissioner Patrick Zulu thanked President Lungu and Agriculture minister Michael Katambo for ensuring that farming inputs for the 2020/21 farming season were in the district early.