Help us find markets, cry small-scale farmers

By MAILESI BANDA THE National Union of SmallScale Farmers of Zambia, (NUSFAZ), has challenged Government to create markets for more agricultural products if the diversification agenda in the agriculture sector is to be attained.

NUSFAZ) director general, Frank Kayula says while smallscale farmers are willing to grow other crops aside from the traditional maize, the non availability of a ready market for other crops was a deterrent.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Kayula said to attract more farmers to the diversification agenda, Government should solicit for a market for other crops aside from maize.

"The calls for the farmers to diversify from the growing of maize to other crops is progressive but while we are calling for that the question we must be asking ourselves is if there is a market available for the farmers to sell these other crops," he questioned.

Dr Kayula challenged Government to arrange markets for different agricultural products in order to promote the diversification agenda.

He lamented that farmers should not be forced to grow other crops and then struggle to get a market for their produce adding that this was challenging for small scale farmers who often lacked bargaining skills to get market access.

He commended the efforts of the Government in moving the diversification agenda by including rice soya and other grains on the Farmer Input Support Programme.

He explained that from the awareness program et hey recently conducted with the ministry of agriculture, Small scale farmers are willing to diversify in their crops as long as a ready market is provided.

Government has for a long time now emphasised the need for the agriculture sector to diversify from maize.

The minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya during the launch of the Agriculture Policy on March 10, 2017 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre indicated that she does not want to be a minister of maize.

The minister said from a policy perspective, the most significant change that the PF government has instituted is a shift from pursuing food security as the main policy objective and to put more emphasis on promoting accelerated agricultural growth and diversification, increasing agricultural exports and achieving nutritional security as well as to achieve greater efficiency and equity.