WB to create rural jobs Zambia

THE World Bank is considering a new engagement to support creating more rural jobs through agribusinesses in Zambia.

World Bank Group Country Manager, Sahr Kpundeh, said the engagement would address the high unemployment rates especially in rural areas.

Dr Kpundeh said the engagement would be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture.

He said this during this the meeting during the virtual launch of the Enabling Business in Agriculture (EBA) Report.

“The sector consists of mainly subsistence farming, rain-fed dependent, with limited number of commercial farmers. However, demand is increasingfor high value food items in Zambia, while limited number of these items us being produced locally.

“The impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of borders revealed the need to improve the level of value addition to agriculture in Zambia, and to gradually substitute imports,” Dr

Kpundeh said.

He said EBA’s results were relevant for the world Bank’s portfolio in Zambia, which consisted of an operation implemented by the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and

Industry that supported agribusiness and farmers’ groups linking them with large

15 potential buyers.

Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Songowayo Zyambo, observed that there was still room for improvement in the sector despite registering substantial growth over the years.

Mr Zyambo said

Government was aware that there was also need to improve farmer access ti irrigation and mechanization, as indicated by the EBS report for 2019.

He reiterated Government’s commitment to supporting agribusiness and the private sector to ensure that they took a leading role in food production as well as the development of robust food supply chains.

“Government has prioritised measures to improve access to irrigation and mechanisation of the 2020

2023 Economic Recovery Programme (ERP), which

“I therefore wish to cal for the continued partnership between Government and cooperating partners to achieve the targets which have been set in the ERP,” Mr Zyambo said.