BUSINESS EXPERT CALLS FOR MECHANISED FARMING THROUGH ZNS

A BUSINESS expert in Solwezi Mathias Mutupa has called on government to come up with a deliberate policy by introducing mechanised farming through the Zambia National Service (ZNS).

Mr Mutupa observes that if ZNS was equipped with modern farming equipment and encouraged to massively produce agro products, food shortages in the country will be a thing of the past.

He stayes that government has the much needed resources at its disposal which could be channeled towards such a project among them, the increased Constituency Development Find (CDF).

He said regions such as North western, Luapula, Muchinga, Eastern, Northern and Western provinces have fertile arable land and massive water bodies as well as hood rainfall patterns which are under utilised.

"All what is required is equiping the men and women in uniform under the Zambia National Service, equip them with pivot centers, bulldozers, tractors, all sort of irrigation equipment.

"And once all this is done, the food shortage situation in the country would be thing of the past," said Mr Mutupa.

He said once production is massively increased, it will result into reduced commodity prices especially for the staple food.

He said the country is going through food shortage because it has for a long time depended on subsistence farming which he said has proved not to be helping curb the situation.

He said there is need to make the economy export oriented and not import by increasing production especially in the agriculture sector.

"And that's another way which is going to help reduce volatility on the exchange and inflation rates," he said.

He said the current food shortage in the country should be a wakeup call on government.