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Zambian leader pledges more resources for 2016/2017 agricultural season

Xinhua, December 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Friday launched the planting season of various crops for the 2016/2017 agricultural season, with a pledge that his government will source for more resources to improve the sector.

Lungu launched the start of the planting season at a farm in central Zambia's Chisamba district belonging to Zambeef Products Plc, Zambia's biggest integrated agribusiness and food processing firm.

Lungu said his government has prioritized the agricultural sector as an engine of economic growth and job creation because it was a renewable sector unlike the mining industry.

"Agriculture is at the center of my heart because everyone depends on agriculture. All the other sectors of the economy are dependent on this sector. Agriculture should be seen as a business and not just as a way of life. As government, we are committed to finding practical ways of maximizing the agricultural potential," he said.

Lungu said it was unacceptable that the country continues to import agricultural products when it had abundant natural resources such as land and 40 percent of the southern African water, adding that his government wanted to make the country into a food basket in the region.

Lungu has since called on relevant government departments to ensure that agricultural inputs are distributed on time to all parts of the country to ensure timely planting in order to maximize production.

Jervis Zimba, the president of the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU), an umbrella body of both large and small-scale farmers, said despite the potential of the agricultural sector, it was still being hampered by a number of challenges.

He said farmers still faced challenges to improve productivity because of lack of access to finance and the high cost of doing business, among other challenges.

He said there was need to unlock the potential of the sector by putting in place proper policies and measures. Endit